


like falling (in love)

by sendmeademon



Category: Chungha (Musician), Mamamoo, Nam Yoondo | Eric Nam (Musician), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 22,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21586591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendmeademon/pseuds/sendmeademon
Summary: After a long year of separation from Wheein and Seulgi, Yongsun arrives at Seoul feeling like she has just conquered the world. But that was only the first step and, with her unlucky record, she must have realised things wouldn't be that easy. A plastered girl calling her a miracle in a McDonald's toilet? Doing favors to the uni's playgirl? How will she keep up?
Relationships: Ahn Hyejin | Hwasa/Jung Wheein, Kang Seulgi/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul, Kang Seulgi/Park Jimin (BTS), Kim Yongsun | Solar/Kim Chungha, Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul
Comments: 9
Kudos: 85





	1. All that happens in a McDonald’s toilet

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [like falling (in love)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21504973) by [sendmeademon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendmeademon/pseuds/sendmeademon). 



Yongsun’s life was weird. She was one of those people with thousands of strange stories to tell. Of course, some were quite uncomfortable, like that one time when a van almost run her over and the cheeky drivers had stopped by the sidewalk to wish her a "very good afternoon, gorgeous," and to tell her that if she wanted to go for a ride. No siree! 

But there were also very funny stories, like the one of that very morning. She had asked a girl for directions to her uni, to which she had just transferred. Her intention had been to enroll there from the beginning, but she had failed at her exams so miserably that she had had to settle for staying in the one of her city during the first year. Alone, because Wheein and Seulgi had had no problems getting in... She had tried her best to get very good grades and she had finally been accepted. 

That's why Yongsun had arrived at Seoul that beautiful Friday morning feeling like she was on top of the world. With all that energy, however, she couldn’t sleep. She had stayed up all night looking at pictures of Seoul on her cell phone and fantasizing about her new life. As a result, her mobile phone was drained. The girl she had asked had been very nice to her and she had offered to guide her, but apparently she was too much into their conversation and she had taken Yongsun very far away from her destination.

Why was all this happening to her? What kind of horrible luck was that? After taking two buses (the first, of course, had taken her too far because she had been distracted playing with a puppy; she had got off very early from the second for fear of going too far again) and a half an hour walk, Yongsun had arrived on campus, where her friends had been waiting for her for about an hour. After leaving all her stuff in the room, they had gone out for dinner to celebrate Yongsun's arrival, no expense spared. 

Except it was spared, because they were university students, so they went to McDonald’s.

Because of her record of peculiar stories, it didn't surprise her at all that, as she was washing her hands after going to the toilet, a brunette came out of a stall, leaned on the wall and exclaimed:

“Miracle!”

Yongsun, already used to strange people, sighed and looked at her through the reflection of the mirror. She was pretty: small, curvy, with brown, excited eyes and a red dress that suited her tan skin very well. But her being pretty didn't excuse her screaming in a McDonald's toilet.

“Sorry, what do you say?” Yongsun replied, polite but cautious.

“I'm kinda blind drunk, but your beauty has restored my sight, baby.”

The girl laughed and winked. She was definitely drunk, but she didn't look plastered. Her small eyes were observant, and her laughter, strangely, was not as scandalous as one would have expected of a wasted person, though it was loud. Suddenly a fist rumbled against the toilet door, followed by a low female voice, half amused and half annoyed. Unknowingly, Yongsun shuddered at the sound of it.

“Hyejin, leave that poor girl be, come on, we're gonna be late.”

Instead of obeying the voice, Hyejin approached the sink where Yongsun, who had finished washing her hands, was almost paralyzed from laughter. The girl slapped some soap and rinsed it off quickly.

“Duty calls, m’lady,” she said as she carefully took Yongsun’s hand and kissed it. Yongsun giggled, but she tried to resist it. Hyejin approached the door. “I suppose I'll see you in my dreams…”

The patience of the person waiting on the other side of the door had apparently run out because it opened a little, enough to take the drunk girl by the arm and get her out of there.  
Yongsun leaned over. She could see a wave of very straight, light hair and black eyes that left her stuck in place as the stranger looked at her. But soon the door closed. She could faintly hear the stranger chastising her friend:

“You’re kinda annoying, did you know that?”

Yongsun was alone, and she almost laughed herself to death, though those eyes had left her a little disturbed. The next time the door opened, it was Seulgi and Wheein, who had been partial witnesses to the show. They were not too worried, they knew their record.

“Tricks of the trade, am I right?” Wheein asked, way too amused.

“It was time for a little Yongsun and his weirdos around here!” exclaimed Seulgi, sliding both arms over her friends’ shoulders. “We missed you.”

She only took a moment to look at the two of them. She had missed them. Yongsun had been so busy working on improving her grades that they had barely been able to speak, and meeting was not a possibility being so far away. She was very concerned about coming back and things being weird between them, but there are friendships that transcend time. The thought made her smile. She loved her friends very much.

“What are you gaping at, dummy? You're drooling!” Wheein joked, pulling her braid and smiling back. Then, she looked around and laughed even more. “Well, that's enough sentimentalism, we're still in the toilet. Let's go to the party!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hi! It's been veeery long since I last wrote a fanfic of any sort, so I'm kinda rusty, tbh. This story was the kind that get stuck in your head and won't leave you be til you write it, so I did. The chapters won't be too long, but the fanfic probably will! It's a slow burn, more or less, so I hope you'll tag along with me to see Moonbyul and Yongsun fall (in love, heh, get it)!


	2. Love quarrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seulgi and Jimin have a tense heart-to-heart, and Yongsun finds out about a bit of her friend's story from last year.

Truth be told, going to the party of a Jimin, whom she hadn't even met yet, and whom she had never heard of, wasn't what Yongsun had in mind, but Wheein was very excited, and Seulgi, ecstatic. She had just learned that Seulgi and Jimin had been flirting it up all last year, and life had come in between and nothing had happened, but her friend placed all her hopes in this party.

“We didn't tell you because you seemed so busy... We didn't want to bother you with our nonsense," Wheein comforted her when she saw her face, but Yongsun was still a little sad.

She planned to make up as much lost time as she could, and if that included going to a college party for the first time in her life, then so be it. She tried not to show how much it had affected her to know that she had not been told such important information: she wasn’t going to show up after a year and demand that they do what she wanted.

“I didn't know you liked preppy dudes," Yongsun said as she saw the guy's house. Law students were always loaded.

She was exaggerating, but only a little. The house was close to the campus and it was big and modern, with many glass walls through which you could see a great crowd dancing and drinking and talking and having a good time without hurting anyone. The volume of the music could have bothered the neighbours, but there was no one complaining. Maybe they were at the party. Seulgi shrugged, faking to be chill, and Wheein intertwined her arms.

“If she marries for money, he better be rich as hell, right?”

She laughed as Seulgi rolled his eyes and hid a smile, and they began to walk towards the door. Once they went in, the music and the greetings hit them hard. Wheein and Seulgi seemed to be quite popular in uni. But they were so shy in high school!

Yongsun was introduced to the whole university. There were so many names and so many faces that she forgot them as soon as she lost sight of them, but everyone was very welcoming, especially one Eric Nam, who introduced himself very intensely. Everyone was so nice!

It was all the same until Jimin arrived. Yongsun saw him first and, although she didn't know him, she instantly "recognized" him: he had, as her friends had said, a the body of a dancer and a lovely smile, and either a lot of free time between his hands or a stylist, because his light hair was flawless.

“Seulgi, I had begun to think you wouldn’t come.”

Even his voice, a little high-pitched, was perfectly studied, almost cautious. He ran his hand through his hair, denoting that perhaps he wasn’t as calm as he showed. Yongsun noticed that Seulgi and Jimin wore matching necklaces, a silver chain with a ring. How curious... She turned to him and smiled with the same dubious air. Yongsun was dying to ask Wheein, but she wouldn’t spoil Seulgi's moment.

“I told you I’d come, don't you trust me?”

The question seemed to be loaded, the atmosphere was too tense. Jimin seemed willing to try to make up with her even if she got difficult, because he reached his hand out to Seulgi and asked:

“Will you dance with me?”

Yongsun felt as if she was in a fairy tale. How romantic! She didn't know what he had done wrong, but at least he was fixing it the right way. Or so Yongsun thought until Seulgi looked away and shook her head.

“I am with my friends. I'll catch you later, okay?”

Her question wasn't really a question, because she turned around again, almost turning her back on him, cutting off any attempt at conversation. Jimin ran his hand through his hair again, frustrated, and sighed:

“Have a good time, girls.”

And he walked away with a bruised ego. Yongsun immediately approached Seulgi with her eyes wide and began to gesticulate energetically to express her surprise:

“Since when are you a femme fatale? What the hell did that dude do to you?”

“He was an asshole to me," Seulgi snorted, wrinkling her nose and rolling her eyes as she turned to take a look at the place where Jimin had disappeared into the crowd. “But he's a guy, we can’t really ask them for more.”

“They spent the whole first quarter talking and everything was fine until they got made out on New Year's Eve," Wheein explained, "because the next day Jimin was paranoid that Seulgi had been making out with Byul secretly. She's quite nice, but well,” Seulgi looked at her hands in anger and shame, as if the girl's name bothered her, and Wheein quickly changed the topic, “that's not the point. Seulgi had done nothing, but…”

"But Jimin is too pig-headed," Seulgi interrupted her, crossing her arms, "and he didn't believe it. At first I was sad, but then I said, "You know what, Seulgi? Its his loss.”

“And, well, in the end Seulgi did make out with Byul, and some other people" Wheein added, winking at her friend, "but the thing is, Jimin wanted to apologize back in June, but so close to summer, Seulgi told him she would think it over.”

“And here we are," Seulgi concluded.

Yongsun was amazed, and, in a way, still upset. A lot of things had really happened that she had missed... Well, she wasn't going to miss another minute. They had stayed away from the people who danced between greetings and salutations, but that wasn't going to go on.

“Don't worry, the hair gel must have ruined his brain," Wheein said to Seulgi, putting her hand on her shoulder. Yongsun took the opportunity to take them both by the hands and drag them in the middle of the crowd.

“Forget that idiot, let's dance!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So, I've kinda decided that I'll be updating on Wednesdays and Saturdays, just to let you know.  
> I had a looot of fun writing this chapter. Jimin is my bias in BTS, so it was very cool to add him to the story.   
> Hope you enjoyed. Moonbyul and Hwasa will be in the next chapter, so I hope I'll see you next Wednesday!


	3. Trouble in paradise?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yongsun meets two new people, and Seulgi is mad.

She almost regretted asking her friends to go to the dance floor. Just almost because, although Wheein and Seulgi moved as if they were born to sweep the dance floors with their sick moves, it was also great to see them having so much fun. In high school, Yongsun had to rehearse in front of the bathroom mirror before going out to party with them so as not to be too shadowed by them, but it was a useless effort. They shone with their own light.

However, it had been such a long time since She had seen them like this, since she had such a good time, that she didn't care about being in the background. Her cheeks ached from laughing too much at their silly nonsense. The music was very loud and someone (Jimin, she assumed) had made the lights change color to the rhythm of the songs. Sometimes the whole room chanted an especially popular one, and it was magical.

Time seemed not to pass while she talked to Wheein and Seulgi, tried to dance, and danced and joked. She wasn't even tired. The only one who seemed to notice the passage of time was her dry throat, which reminded her that she hadn't had anything to drink since they entered the house.

“Hey, is there a barman around or is Jimin not that rich?” Wheein yelled over the music, still jumping. "I'm in the mood for a Sex on the beach!

“Oh, risqué!” Yongsun replied, sticking out her tongue. Wheein stumbled a little as she got the giggles and grabbed Seulgi's shoulder, who started laughing with them. 

When she had stabilized her, Seulgi, who seemed to know the house like the back of her hand, told them where the alcohol was: in the right corner of the kitchen counter. Apparently, Jimin wasn't that rich. As Wheein pondered aloud whether she would be able to make her own cocktail, Yongsun's eyes opened wide. Of all the people in the whole world.

“Byulie, it’s miracle girl!” Hyejin shrieked, the clean drunk from McDonald's, and grabbed her companion by the sleeve of her black moto jacket. They chatted while sat on the kitchen counter, with their legs open and bottles of alcohol between them. Hyejin pushed them aside to jump and land on the floor, stunned. The blonde girl looked up and her eyes met...

As had happened in the toilet, Yongsun was paralyzed where she stood. She had never seen such dark eyes. She could not even tell the pupil from the iris. The lights in the kitchen were normal, but the door leading to the party was open, and it shone right on them, sending colorful sparkles flying around that deep darkness. Perhaps that would be the right word to describe those eyes: deep, and intense.

And amused.

“Hey. Forgive my friend, she’s a mess,” she looked at Hyejin fondly while kicking her in the thigh. The girl took a small glass and filled it with some transparent liquid, which she gave to Yongsun. “Here, as an apology for my friend.”

Then, Moonbyul seemed to realize that there were more people with Yongsun, and she smiled radiantly at Wheein and Seulgi.

“Hi, girls. How are things, Seulgi?”

Surprised to see the McDonald's girls there, Yongsun had forgotten all about her friends. When she looked back, Seulgi's face was that of an ice queen. She stood completely upright. At that very moment, she understood. Moonbyul and Byulie where the same person. But what the hell had happened to make Seulgi so nervous? Yongsun took a sip of the shot, and it stung her throat a little.

“Very well, thank you," she replied, very polite and still icy. Then, as she had done with Jimin, she turned around and turned her back, still tense. “Well, girls, I'm gonna catch Jimin. See you later.”

She went away slowly, but Yongsun, knowing her as she did, knew that Seulgi would have wished to run out of the kitchen. She gave Wheein a confused look, but she was too busy devouring Hyejin with her eyes. What else had she miss?! It was all too much. She downed the shot, to see if it would make things clearer, but no luck.

“Hey, Wheein,” Yongsun whispered, but she didn't listen to her, busy as she was greeting the brunette, all giggles and blushed cheeks. Yongsun stuck her elbow in her arm. “Wheein!”

Wheein looked at her in confusion, as if coming out of a trance. A slightly raspy, pretty laugh on her left sent a chill up her spine, but she shook her head and bowed down to quietly ask her friend:

“Will you explain to me what is happening here?”

“Sorry, miracle girl!” Hyejin took Wheein by the arm delicately, and brought her a little closer. She seemed surprised, but very happy, when Hyejin declared, “I haven't seen this girl in ages, so say goodbye to her for tonight!”

She couldn't believe it. Her friends' lives had been a soap opera last year, and she hadn't heard a thing! So much wasted gossip! Stupid 3 in maths that made her repeat her exams... She saw Hyejin and Wheein coming out of the kitchen. They walked very close, not letting go and with no apparent desire to do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here I am, once again, on Wednesday. Moonbyul is in the scene, finally! It's going to get more interesting from here, I swear. Hope you like it, see you on Saturday!


	4. What is a shot worth?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moonbyul tries to flirt, but she gets interrupted.

She sighed, even though it was pointless to sulk: Wheein and Seulgi had abandoned her. How ironic. Perhaps karma really existed... 

Okay, so watch now? Back to campus? The walk back wasn't that long, and it was well lit. Better than being alone there...

"I come to a party with my friend and she ditches me without a second thought. Seeing is believing," Moonbyul said solemnly as she put the bottles aside, and then she laughed. Yongsun didn't know if she was laughing at her bad luck or at herself.

Normally she would have answered and, perhaps, she would have even made a new friend. She wasn't one one to shy away, much less with a shot already in her system... But those deep eyes distracted her. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. She eyed nervously the bottles of alcohol. Moonbyul raised an eyebrow and grabbed one of them, smiling reassuringly. 

"What do you want? The first drink was on the house," she said as she leaned in and put her hands on her knees. Her smile was mischievous for a moment, "the second… We'll see."

Moonbyul's eyes had softened a bit, and that encouraged Yongsun. What was wrong with her? She didn't even know that girl! Was she going to force her to do her homework? Of course not!

"How do you like Margaritas?"

"Very beautiful flowers," Moonbyul answered, and then she smirked, "though they can't compete against you, of course."

The surprise led her to roll her eyes. So cheesy! As Hyejin had done before, Moonbyul jumped off the counter, but unlike her friend's jump, hers was almost elegant, like watching a cat jump from roof to roof. 

She told her to make herself at home, so Yongsun helped herself up to the counter with her high heels Moonbyul began to pick up what she needed. She opened and closed closets and drawers as if she were at home, which meant that Jimin and she must be very good friends. Finally, she found a brand new shaker, shiny and sleek. Watching her measure and mix the liquids was quite a show, and Yongsun couldn't stop looking. She hoped Moonbyul would be too focused to notice...

Moonbyul said nothing as she poured the contents into a very elegant glass that she surely shouldn't have used, with the edge speckled with salt. She handed it to Yongsun. The expression on her face seemed to indicate that she was challenging her, and Yongsun, though she didn't have much competitive spirit, felt it resurface stronger than ever. Still quiet, she took the glass without a thought and gave it a good drink, killing half in an instant.

"Hey, easy," a delicate, pale hand flew towards Yongsun's arm and made her take the drink away from her lips. They were cold as the ice of her drink. It was pleasant. It was too hot there. "I know you don't really do miracles, so let's relax a bit," she warned her, a bit more easy-going, breaking physical contact. Her black eyes remained on Yongsun's.

Her subtle, almost intimate smile inspired confidence. There was no use to being nervous, she just met her... The alcohol washed away her inhibitions along with Seulgi's strange reaction, so she finally cleared her throat and opened her mouth again, this time more successfully.

"Thank you so much for, uh…" Why did she want to thank her? She had implied that the first drink, the shot, was free, but that the second... Thank you for getting me drunk?

"For keeping you company?" Moonbyul helped her, and she climbed back up on the counter. The fabric of her jeans was almost grazing Yongsun's leg and she couldn't stop thinking about it, but Moonbyul couldn't be bothered. "It's all right, our friends have decided that parties are meant to do crazy things with someone you feel attracted to."

Then Moonbyul came even closer and tilted her head slightly. Her hair, ashy blonde, fell on her shoulder, and along with her innocent facial expression, she looked like an angel. Yongsun felt her throat go dry, and drank a little more so as not to say anything silly.

"Don't you think we should...?"

Before the end of the sentence, a couple of girls who seemed to have been leaning against the doorway of the kitchen, or hugging, or doing who knows what, fell to the floor with their limbs intertwined. Yongsun's heart skipped a beat and she jumped away from Moonbyul. They had been so close...

"Hi, Byulie!" The girls chanted, with full smiles on their faces, once they got to their feet. They looked at Moonbyul as if she were the sun after a long night, even though they still held hands. 

The girl on the left, with very light strawberry blond hair, pouted. "We miss you, you don't answer to our texts anymore!"

Moonbyul, who seemed used to such demands, flashed one of her charming smiles in their direction, and the girls melted. At least no one was immune to her charms, that reassured Yongsun.

"You know I'm busy," she retorted with amusement, shaking her head disapprovingly. 

Was it Yongsun imagining things, or was Moonbyul pointing at her subtly? She uncrossed her legs and crossed them again, and she downed her drink. She wanted more, though her head felt very light. The situation had turned out to be very amusing, and she chuckled. The alcohol was getting to her.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry! See you later!" The other girl, with black hair and straight bangs, blew her a kiss, and then they both left.

Yongsun looked at Moonbyul, who gave her an almost analytical look, perhaps a little worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finallyyy, some flirting in this MoonSun fanfic. It'll only go up from here! See you on Wednesday. :)


	5. (Almost) a love story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moonbyul tells Yongsun a love story, while managing to hit on her still. Her power...

When the girls left, Yongsun let out a stunned laugh. Moonbyul also had very strange things going on in her life, but, at the time, she was too drunk to care.

"What I wanted to say before was 'thanks for the drink,' you know?" Yongsun tried to jump from the counter to the floor. She had to hold on to Moonbyul's leg so she wouldn't trip, and she let out another giggle. She raised her head and smiled, "But I also thank you for the company. It was, hmm... Interesting?"

She took a few steps toward the garden door. She was already dizzy enough, she wanted to avoid the living room. She assumed that Wheein and Seulgi could manage without her, but she only but touched the sliding glass, when a pale, cold hand grabbed her by the shoulder.

Moonbyul, of course.

"Letting you go back to campus like that would be reckless of me, wouldn't it?" She hadn't moved her hand from Yongsun's bare shoulder, and the intensity of her gaze relaxed a little when she added, "my friends' friends are my friends."

"It's only a twenty-minute walk away," Yongsun thought. However, what she said, not at all ill-mannered, was:

"Seulgi didn't seem like much of a friend to you."

She immediately regretted it, because Moonbyul's face became annoyed and a little sad. 

"That's a story for another day." She let her hand fall from Yongsun's shoulder, and she cursed her damn mouth. Idiot! Moonbyul cleared her throat and tried to bring her usual smirk back. "But Wheein is very close to Hyejin, as you have seen."

Moonbyul slid the glass door and she came out into the night. It was much less stuffy outside, and she hoped the breeze would cool her off. The blonde held out her hand to Yongsun How could she possibly say no to that? 

So she took her hand, and neither of them let go. Yongsun was grateful for the change of course of the conversation.

"Yeah, what happened?"

Soon they came out of the garden, and Moonbyul filled her in. It was the old tale of two friends who got on well right from the start, but who dreaded taking the next step. They had met in a protest against climate change that had taken place in the university plaza.

"Hyejin didn't care much for climate change, but she saw Wheein and…"

Moonbyul and Hyejin were lying on the grass, enjoying a beautiful late summer day, when she had seen Wheein shouting slogans with the fiercest voice she could utter and, the next moment, handing out pamphlets with the sweetest smile she had ever seen. 

Yongsun was not at all surprised to know that Wheein was involved in a climate change mess, and she admired her for it. She always dragged Seulgi and herself to her protests, and although they were not as committed, they always yelled until their throats were sore. So she could accurately imagine what Hyejin would have seen: hair tied up in a bun, bangs full of Earth clips that she would have made herself, wielding a banner with angry calligraphy and beautiful drawings... 

She could see the appeal.

“She said she was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. She just stared at Wheein, all starry-eyed," Moonbyul explained, smiling at the night sky as they walked to campus, "and I told her to go meet her…”

That's exactly what Hyejin had done, and Wheein had taken advantage of her vulnerability to give her a hard time about not recycling and reusing and all that. Hyejin had immediately joined the protest, moved by Wheein’s passion, and since then, they were inseparable. At first Moonbyul and Seulgi had joined them, the blonde girl recalled, with an emotion in her voice that she couldn’t place, but then, they dared to be left alone. 

“So they're together?” She was interrupted by Yongsun, too impatient. 

They had already crossed the campus gates, and Moonbyul gestured that she intended to escort Yongsun to her room. Goodness, she was a slow story-teller! Or maybe time had passed too quickly... 

But the girl shook her head at her question. Apparently, Hyejin had not counted on becoming such good friends with Wheein, and she didn’t want to risk damaging their relationship. Knowing Wheein as she did, Yongsun knew she didn't mind taking risks with strangers, but with people closer to her... They both had the same problem, then.

“That’s stupid," she snorted, getting Moonbyul's attention, who had just pressed the elevator button, "they obviously like each other, why don't they kiss already?”

Moonbyul put a funny expression on her face, as if that were a great question, and shrugged her shoulders, smiling wide.

“I wonder," she replied, and raised an eyebrow. “I'm not one to control my urges.”

They both went into the elevator, and Yongsun suddenly became aware that they were still holding hands. Would it be weird to let her go now? Maybe it would be weirder to keep on holding on to her. Moonbyul was hitting on her, right? 

The cool air had made her a bit more modest, so she slipped her hand and moved away from the girl a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This chapter was very sweet, I really like the love story that I've pictured for Hwasa and Wheein, hehe. Leave your kudos and comments and come back for more on Saturday. :)


	6. Dangerous favours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One is flirty and one is a mess, can we guess who?

The elevator ride seemed to go on forever. Yongsun missed the breeze from the street, because the air in the elevator was full of tension. She wasn't so drunk that she didn't know what that girl wanted from her. If she got involved with a girl, no matter how attractive she was, before stepping into a university class, she would probably regret it... 

Besides, hints aside, she thought Moonbyul was nice. She had taken her to her room and had left the party behind for Yongsun, that was something to be thankful for, wasn't it? 

She would like to know what was going through her mind. It would be easier for her to decide.

“Wasn’t your room in the fourth floor?” Moonbyul asked, pressing the button to keep the doors open. She seemed to be holding her laughter. 

Yongsun had been too deep in thought, as always.

“Yes, yes, it is!”

She jumped out of the elevator quickly, and she propped herself against the wall to regain balance. Who thought drinking and running out of battery and going to a party on her first day was a good idea? Just a few more steps to the left and she could take a shower and sleep. 

Just a few more steps and she would be free from the temptation that followed her closely with a mocking smile. She stopped in front of her door and looked for the card to open it in her bag. She found it and took it out. Only then did she look at Moonbyul.

“Thank you for everything," she said with a small smile. How many times had she thanked her that night?

Moonbyul shook his head, as if to say 'it's nothing', but took a step towards her and put her hand on her waist. She was barely grazing her, but that small gesture sky-rocketed the ongoing tension. Yongsun couldn’t retreat, she was too close to her door.

“Remember what I told you at the party?” She asked her in an even deeper, more hypnotic voice, and leaned towards her, shortening the distance a little more. 

She didn’t say to it outright, but Yongsun knew what she meant all too well. ‘The second, we shall see…’ No, she didn't want her to do any homework for her after all. The truth is that she hadn’t hid her intentions at any point, but Yongsun didn’t think that she was going to come on that strong. She wasn't ready for that kind of strong emotions so soon...

So she didn't know where she got the courage to come a little closer and say:

“Let's say I owe you.”

And that's as far as her courage got her: she swiped the card through the reader and locked herself in her room.

On the other side of the door, her room was dark, illuminated only by the lights passing through the open window. It was just as she had left it that afternoon: on the left, the bed; on the right, the wardrobe and the door to the bathroom; in front of her, the desk. The only difference was Yongsun's heart, which beat very 

Her second impulse was to listen closely. The door didn't have a peephole, so she lacked the visual element, but she did have sound, after all. However, she heard nothing at all, except for a few steps and perhaps the elevator door closing. Apparently, Moonbyul's legs were fine. Good for her, because Yongsun’s had turned into jelly. 

She stood there, leaning against the door, for a longer time than she would like to admit, her mind in a whirl, wondering what had happened, regretting everything, telling herself she had done the right thing... The quick look she took at the alarm clock, which she had put on the shelf above the bed to force herself to get up to turn it off, cut her fantasies short. It was already three a.m.!

“Stop the nonsense and go shower,” she berated herself.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other, keeping her thoughts in the present. "Enough daydreaming," she promised herself as she took her pajamas and went straight to the shower.

That night, however, she had trouble sleeping. The hot shower had relaxed her at the time, but she couldn't stop thinking... 

When she finally fell asleep, she felt observed by inescrutable black eyes, and she felt a tingling in the back of her neck that she couldn't describe, as if she wanted to do something but didn't know exactly what it was. In her dream, she opened and closed many doors. She was looking for answers, but what was her question? She had forgotten, and the dark eyes got softer, but they wouldn't let her out of their field of vision, so Yongsun still had that feeling of being on a tightrope. Suddenly, the eyes were replaced by long, very light, shiny locks, so much so that they blinded her...

She woke up all of a sudden, opened her eyes and then had to close them again. She had left the shutter open, and the sun was shining right on her.

Bless her luck. 

Still lying in bed, she knew that if she was left alone, she would think again about what had happened last night. At least she had remembered to charge her phone, and she unplugged it to check the time. She didn't have any messages from Wheein, but she did have several from Seulgi, a little worried, until the last one said: "I already know where you are. I hope you're smarter than me.”

How cryptic! Yesterday, Wheein and Seulgi had told her to always go to Wheein’s when in doubt, as Seulgi's room was too messy, so she decided to get dressed and do just that. She didn't know whether or not to text Seulgi back, but she figured she would tell her in person. She texted the group that the three of them had, warning that she would be at the door in a while, and then she blocked it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! We finally got over that one day of the party, it only took about 6 chapters. :) It's only gonna get more interesting, so I hope I'll see you next Wednesday!


	7. Red-handed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wheein and Hyejin get busy... Or do they?

That Saturday at 10 a.m. was pretty quiet. Yongsun didn’t know if that was the norm, but she liked it. Jimin's party had been very big, so she assumed that many fellow students were sleeping, hoping to wake up hangover-free. 

Yongsun felt a small pinch behind her eyes. Last year she had barely gone out, and she had lost her practice, but the calm ambiance helped.

Wheein's room was on the third floor, so she decided to walk down the stairs to shake off the last bits of sleep. Also, she would get rid of strange thoughts related to the last time she had been in an elevator, and the company she had had... 

She didn't like to sleep late to make the most of her mornings and exercise, but gossiping with her friends was a bit more important than looking for the university gym. The story Moonbyul had told her had been cute and frustrating, but it seemed incomplete. She, after all, only knew Hyejin’s point of view. 

Now, Yongsun could have Wheein’s too, though she had an idea of the conversation she was about to have with her friend.

When she was certain which door was Wheein's, she realized that there was more movement inside than in the rest of the rooms. Two pairs of rushed steps stopped, then ran again. A tender chuckle, a few whispers and silence... 

She had to step back when the door slammed open. She shouldn’t have been surprised that it was Hyejin leaving the room, but she felt her mouth opening, and an uncontrollable desire to laugh. She looked weird at Yongsun for a moment, then a spark of shame flashed across her face. 

Finally, she pulled together her usual self-assured smile and clicked her fingers, as if taking off her hat to greet her.

“Good morning, Miss.”

Hyejin took one last look into the room, and Yongsun could see a hint of sweetness in her gaze before she turned and walked away quickly with her sparkly heels in one hand and her red party dress in the other. 

Yongsun turned then to check the state of Wheein’s room. The windows were wide open, but the curtains were drawn, perhaps a little counterproductive, so the room was slightly darkened. The bed was torn apart, as if they had been fighting over the blankets all night. She didn't rule out the possibility; Wheein was a sheet hoarder. 

One with unruly brown hair, remnants of mascara and lipstick and a sleepy face. They looked at each other for a long minute, in silence, until Yongsun smirked.

“Having fun, aren’t you?”

“Of course not!” Wheein reacted suddenly, as if she had been kicked, and began to tidy up. 

She put her black heels in place. She made a pile with her wrinkly pants and her blazer to wash them, and she made her bed very carefully, pulling the sheets tautly. Yongsun looked at her leaning against the frame of the ajar door, rolling her eyes. She’d let her finish. She was impossible when she was like that, only Wheein herself could get out of it. Her friend was putting her notes on the desk and lining up her highlighters when she looked in the mirror. 

Whatever she saw made her stop and sigh. Then she eyed Yongsun and, ears flushed, whispered:

“It's not what it looks like.”

Her friend seemed a little shy, but as she saw that Yongsun wasn’t calling her a slut or judging her, she relaxed, and the smile returned to her face. Wheein was not one to be embarrassed about such things for a long time, although it was also true that she had never seen her as enamoured with anyone before. It was adorable.

“If you have to say it's not what it looks like, then it's probably just what it looks like," Yongsun replied, winking. 

Wheein had smoke coming out of her ears again. She frowned and began to make fuss again.

“We were both a little drunk and I told her she could sleep over if she wanted because I was worried that she would get hurt on the way back to her room, that's it!” she answered, drawing the curtains in a stiff motion. The sun hit her in the face, and she squinted her eyes.

“She was wearing one of your sleeping shirts," Yongsun added, only for the sake of pulling Wheein’s leg.

“Of course, I wasn't going to let her sleep in that uncomfortable dress, was I?” She bent down to look at herself better in the mirror on her desk, and moaned. Oh, God, I trashed my face yesterday… What a mess. Do I look as bad as I think?”

“Of course not," she replied automatically. Wheein's face was full of bed wrinkles, she'd just get up when Yongsun had arrived. But, more than that… “You look happy.”

Wheein's eyes, usually radiant and cheerful wells of honey, now shone almost feverishly, exultant, with what could only be described as curiosity. As if she had just discovered a whole new world, and she’d loved what she saw in it. Her aura of happiness was contagious, and everything around her seemed to shine brighter. 

Wheein laughed, though a shadow momentarily obscured the glow in her eyes.

“It's a little complicated," she admitted as she played with her messy, trying to undo a knot while looking out the window. Her face was adorned with a tender smile, "but I wouldn't trade it for the world.”

“Don't worry," Yongsun interrupted her, raising her hands, "Moonbyul told me yesterday, more or less, and, to be honest…”

“What the hell?!”

Seulgi barged into the room. Yongsun hadn’t closed the door properly. Her friend slammed it and approached her with a worried and very angry face and clenched fists. Seulgi had such a bad temper that she feared she was going to punch her, but when she saw her confusion, her anger seemed to diminish very slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! This chapter is more Wheesa-centered, hope you liked that! I find them cute, sooo. There'll be more snippets of their relationship, so look forward to that. As always, your kudos and comments are very welcome, see you on Saturday!


	8. Tales of the burnt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seulgi is burnt, Yongsun is confused and Wheein is done.

Having experienced the calm of the residence only a short time ago, and the calm with which Wheein had just spoken to her, seeing Seulgi so rage-filled was shocking. She had an explosive temper, but Yongsun didn't think she'd ever seen her so pissed off. 

She glanced at Wheein, her eyes confused, but surely not as much as Yongsun. 

Had she done something wrong? She went through the night quickly, but could only remember good times, whether it was with them, dancing and screaming and having fun, or with Moonbyul, doing whatever the hell they had done last night. She really had no idea why Seulgi was so angry, but much less why she was worried. She vaguely recalled her texts as Seulgi put her hand on her shoulder and carefully examined her from top to bottom. What did she expect to find?

“Are you all right? If that chick has done something to you, I'll…”

Wheein seemed to make sense of Seulgi's words, though she did something unexpected. The two of them were very close, perhaps more so than with Yongsun, because they had had an entire year alone to bond, so it came as a great surprise to her that Wheein rolled her eyes and yawned. Were they fighting?

“Count me the hell out, thanks.”

She jumped on top of the just-made bed, picked up her phone and began to move her fingers agilely, clearly texting. She had completely disengaged herself from the conversation. Whatever Seulgi was saying, she didn't give a damn. Her face was priceless: bored, resigned... 

In Seulgi's there was only indignation, and she quickly diverted her attention from Yongsun to Wheein. She pointed at her, accusing.

“I told you not to leave her alone," she hissed. The words were hard to decipher, such was her anger. She took another step toward the bed. “Did you forget or what?”

As Seulgi approached, Wheein lifted her head again for only a moment and, with the same weariness as before, she replied:

“Didn't feel like it.” Seulgi opened her eyes in disbelief. She crossed her arms and leaned forward. Wheein took advantage of her surprise to look at her phone once again, glancing out of the corner of her eye. “You left with Jimin, do you remember that?”

“That's completely different and you know it!” 

The poison in Seulgi's voice was obvious. If she hissed more, she’d turn into a snake. She seemed to want to strangle Wheein, but her friend couldn't care less. When she had finished texting, she changed apps. She didn’t bother to pay much attention to Seulgi, the basilisk, which frustrated her even more. She was circling around the room.

“We agreed that one of us would always keep an eye on her…”

“You agreed to that all by yourself, you know this is stupid."

“Well, enough is enough!” Yongsun finally yelled, stomping on the floor. “I don't need anyone to keep an eye on me, what am I, five?” 

If they were going to be all cryptic and idiotic, she had to intervene. Yongsun raised her voice more and more, something she never did. Both Wheein and Seulgi had fixed their eyes on her, though the expressions of the two were still as different as night and day: the first had drawn a slight mocking smile, while the second, leaning against the wardrobe, seemed to have returned to concern.

The room had the same layout as Yongsun's, so Wheein and Seulgi were facing each other. Tired of standing there like an idiot, she took the four steps needed to sit on top of the desk, and she rested her feet on the chair. Wheein frowned, but, given the situation, she didn’t scold her.

“If you don't tell me right now what's going on..." She left the threat unfinished, and interrupted Seulgi when she began to open his mouth. “And you explain it to me clearly. Stop bullshitting.”

There was silence in the room. The three of them looked at each other, and time went by. Finally, Wheein got out of her phone and straightened up a bit in bed. She sighed, as if she thought the whole scene was unnecessary, and answered the question.

“Seulgi has the strange conception that Moonbyul is a sexual predator, only because last year they slept together a couple of times," Wheein said calmly. “No, Moonbyul never told her they were dating or anything, but since Seulgi thought they were, now she loves to torture us all with her whining.”

Her friend's words were harsh, as if she were more than tired of always having the same conversation. Seulgi gave her a fierce look, and if the looks could kill... Everything made a little more sense, the pieces of the puzzle all fit except for one: that deep resentment.

However, as in all stories, Seulgi had her own version. She seemed to understand that she was not going to convince Yongsun with a very aggressive speech, so she tried to be pragmatic and respond directly to her, ignoring Wheein altogether.

“I don't think that," she refuted as she frowned. “But I know Moonbyul can be very... Persuasive.”

The word seemed to burn her lips, as if she wanted to say something very different, but didn’t dare for fear of consequences. 

“She might confuse you, and I don't want her to hurt you. I know you're not stupid, it's her fault, really, she’s irresistible…” 

The last part of the sentence, which should have been a compliment, sounded like an insult. 

“Don't even dream of having more than a couple of weeks with her. She makes us all feel special for a while, but that's it. Don't aspire to more.” 

Now she understood. Everything fit. 

Seulgi had always been rather naïve, the kind of people who believe what they want to believe, and when you try to point out her own mistakes... Impossible. She was stubborn through-and-trough. Wheein, on the other hand, was more about letting go, about flowing with life and not fighting it, and facing situations one by one. She understood their diametrically opposed positions.

She thought again of the night before. While Wheein was right that Moonbyul had never hinted at any romantic intention, and Seulgi was taking it to heart a bit too much, she could understand her point of view. Moonbyul hadn't said anything particularly sweet to her, far from it… 

Except to accompany her to her bedroom, for obvious reasons, but it had made her feel a little... Special. It was good to know it was like that with all the girls, but the disappointment hurt her a little more than she wanted to admit.

Still, she shook her head and put those feelings away. She closed his eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she decided to forget about it. Well, if Moonbyul was interested in all of them, better for her. Let her stuff her… Whatever. Yongsun didn't care. She didn't even know her.

She stopped torturing Wheein's chair, who sighed in relief, and stood on the floor, with a soothing smile.

“Come on, come on, don't fight about it. Don't worry, Wheein, womanizers are everywhere, and I won't judge Moonbyul for that; and don't worry, Seulgi, I'll be careful," she assured them both as if she were a little girl addressing her mothers. For the first time in a while, Seulgi smiled, and Yongsun returned her smile. “Let's have breakfast, come on, I'm starving.”

Settling the matter was the best thing she could come up with for her friends. As for her feelings... Making a clean break was the only thing she could do, and that's what she would do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! Not a lot of MoonSun interaction this chapter, but I think it was pretty necessary. Seulgi is pissed, hehe. Your comments and kudos are welcome, see you next Wednesday!


	9. When in doubt, wear leggins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yongsun dresses to impress.

Returning to classes after the long summer and the five extra days she had had was a little hard, but after a month and a half, Yongsun could already say that she was fully adapted to university life. 

The classes there were more interesting there, and her classmates had welcomed her with open arms for the most part. The teachers were, for the most part, much stricter and more demanding, and they competed with each other for the longest essay in the shortest amount of time.

For now, the English teacher was winning. On Wednesday, she had asked them to make a fifteen-paged comparative report between the many tourist institutions of South Korea due the following week.

Although it was a Saturday, the reports and essays piled up and weighed heavily on her, so she had decided to catch up. She had gotten up very early, went to the university gym and, once energized and with the information previously selected, she had crossed out one task after another from her list. She had only stopped to quickly go down to the cafeteria just before closing time, pick up her food and sip it quickly. It was soup, so she burned her tongue, but she didn't care, that's how focused she was. 

When she finished, it was already five o'clock in the afternoon, and she hadn't checked her phone once. Last year's habits die hard.

She was lucky, because Wheein was very busy with a sculpture project, and Seulgi was modeling for her, so she hadn't received many texts asking her whether she was alive. She glanced at the photos that Seulgi had sent her from the pedestal on which Wheein had placed her, and listened to the absurd audios they had sent her.

Since she didn't feel like spending all Saturday in her room doing nothing, the decision to go and keep them company was practically instantaneous. In addition, the Fine Arts pavilion was on the other side of the campus, so she could get some air and stretch her legs.

She slid the room card between her mobile phone and the casing, tucked that into the pocket of her bulky pants, and checked herself in the mirror before leaving. She'd had better days fashion-wise, but she wasn't going to a catwalk, but to the building with the most risk of getting dirty on campus.

Although she was on the fourth floor, she decided to walk down the stairs. He had spent too much time still and she felt like running. Perhaps she should intensify her exercise routine...

She had too much energy to spend inside the residence, and in the three weeks she had been in Seoul, she hadn't left the uni more than a couple of times to go to cute cafés or to the grocery store to get candy. 

The good thing about campus was that it had everything, but it was also bad: it was too comfortable. She had told her she was too busy, just like Wheein and Seulgi, which was true, but it was almost at the end of October, where was her dreamy walk in the middle of nature?

Grumbling because, once again, the university stood in the way of her happiness, she enjoyed the sun and the air and the walk. She didn't realize that someone was calling out her name until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped up and turned immediately, grabbing the pale, familiar wrist tightly.

She glanced up. Moonbyul grimaced with pain, but she smirked at her.

"You're strong, aren't you?" Yongsun's shirt left much of her torso uncovered, because the day was sunny and she wanted to needed that vitamin D. "Some abs you have there."

Moonbyul winked, and Yongsun released her immediately, as if something was burning in her hands.

'Don't even think about it,' she scolded herself. Her inner voice sounded quite like Seulgi's. She hadn't come across Moonbyul on campus in those weeks. It had been strange at first, so she had asked Wheein, merely out of curiosity, and she had replied with a mocking smile that the Faculty of Photography was very close to the Fine Arts Pavilion and, therefore, they wouldn't cross paths often. 

Yongsun hadn't been disappointed at all. She hadn't thought about it either, no way. Every time those black eyes slipped into her thoughts, her conscience kicked them out, although sometimes they kept chasing her in her dreams.

"What do you want?" she asked, perhaps a little too harsh, and immediately corrected herself when she saw Moonbyul get upset. She hadn't done anything to her, really. She shouldn't let Seulgi's prejudices affect her. "Sorry, I was daydreaming. What do you need?"

"Your body," Moonbyul replied as if it were no big deal, and Yongsun's heart leaped. She must have noticed it on her face, because Moonbyul was squeezing his lips as if she was trying not to laugh. "And probably your face too. I need a model and you owe me a favour, remember?"

She did. Even if she tried not to think about it, she kept wondering how Moonbyul would claim her favor, and when she would do it. She was willing to say no to anything she asked for. She was dumb, but not that dumb. 

But a photoshoot was a much calmer alternative to what she had imagined. Part of her still wanted to refuse, the part that sounded like Seulgi. Yongsun and her friend were not that different: they got attached quick. She had already met Hyejin once, because Wheein and her used to have plans together, and she already considered her a friend. A bit too bold, true, but she was quieter and kinder than she had imagined.

A couple of times, Moonbyul had come. She kept hitting on Yongsun, who dodged her flirts, pretending to pay much less attention to her than she really did. 

If she let Moonbyul get close to her and, when she got tired of waiting, she walked away, it would surely be a very hard blow. Yongsun preferred to keep her distance.

"I'd like to do the session in a park," Moonbyul continued, seeing that Yongsun was not reacting, "and I'm sure someone can lend me a couple of bikes. We could take a ride. Wheein told me you haven't been out much yet."

Her dream ride through nature! She had imagined it surrounded by a little more plants, really, but she assumed that her fantasies were unattainable, considering that Seoul was a highly urbanized city.

"So that's all you want from me, then?" Yongsun finally spoke.

Why did her voice sound a little disappointed? She wasn't, not at all. It was, in fact, more than she had expected, which had confused her a bit. Perhaps this is what Seulgi meant by making her feel special, but she was not going to be so easily fooled.

"Of course," Moonbyul tilted her head a little, and squinted her eyes, which shone with a spark of amusement. She continued to observe her, just like the eyes of her dream. Yongsun couldn't read them, no matter how hard she tried, especially when she smiled broadly and shrugged. "What more could I want?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! See you all next Saturday! :)


	10. The hard truths of love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two unexperienced lovebirds talk about love.

She had endured Seulgi's 'You're crazy's and 'Why don't you ever listen to me's as soon as she told her, and she had to break another fight when Wheein replied, 'Because you're annoying'.

Either way, the decision was made: she said yes to Moonbyul. 

There couldn't be anything wrong with a photoshoot outdoors, in a completely public place, could there? Oh, there she was, thinking like Seulgi again. Of course nothing bad was going to happen to her. 

As Moonbyul had pointed out, what more could she want from her? She was simply claiming her favour. Surely she was bored and wanted a new distraction, but Yongsun was certain that it wouldn't be her. She had much better things to do, like passing her subjects or leading a drama-free life.

They met the next day at the south gate of the campus at four p.m.. She had the stupid feeling that she was going to arrive and there would be no one there and everything would have been a bad joke. 

But, of course, Moonbyul was not a bad person and she was already waiting for her, even though Yongsun had arrived five minutes early. She was leaning against the wall around the campus and talking on the phone in a relaxed tone. In the other hand she carried a bulging black backpack. She assumed it would be full of her photographic instruments.

Beside her were two bicycles, one blue and one red. The red's paint was flaky. As soon as she saw Yongsun, Moonbyul smiled wide, happy even, and she could do nothing but smile in return. Her legs were shaking again. 

'Either you calm down or you're going to fall off the bike.' 

She also leaned on the wall on the other side of the bikes, concentrating on calming her breathing and her trembling hands.

"Relax, you'll see, it'll be fine," Moonbyul answered, with the tone of wanting to finish the conversation. She motioned for Yongsun to wait, apologizing with her eyes. "I know I've been saying the same thing for a year, but what do you want, if you're both cowards?" She pulled the phone away from her ear, because suddenly the other person was shouting. It seemed like Hyejin, but she couldn't be sure. "Yes, sure. Look, I'll call you back, I'm busy here. Don't die, okay?"

She hung up the phone without waiting for an answer. Then she turned to her and removed the black rubber band on her wrist and began to put her hair up in a ponytail. Yongsun had to make an effort to keep her mouth shut while watching her do it: she wasn't going to give her that satisfaction. She fiddled with the fringe of her shirt.

"Excuse me. Hyejin thinks I'm her therapist," she said, rolling her eyes. "Your friend is driving her crazy, and I tell her to do something: either take the leap, or forget about her. But she says she's happy like this. Then why the hell is she complaining so much?!" Moonbyul interrogated her, as if Yongsun had the answer. "I suppose Wheein will be the same with you."

"Yes, but unlike you, I have a heart," Yongsun dared to reply. 

That shocked Moonbyul. She raised an eyebrow and took the handlebars of the red bicycle, the closest to her. Yongsun did the same thing with the blue one, but neither of them moved. 

"I mean, love is like that... It's not easy, and it's full of misunderstandings and push-and-pull. If we could read each other's minds, everything would be easier, but since we can't, we have to try to communicate, and give each other all the time we need."

Moonbyul whistled and nodded, as if she had impressed her. But since she was still Moonbyul, her tone quickly became mocking.

"So much passion. Are you in love?"

Yongsun knew she used that voice to make her nervous, but it was getting old pretty quick. She was getting used to her nonsense, although, from time to time, some of it kept surprising her, like her comments from yesterday or that sly wink. But she shook her head, her eyes melancholic and lost at the end of the long street that would lead them to the river bank.

"I've never been in love, but I'd love to. That's why, when I see Hyejin and Wheein, I'm kinda jelous. Who wouldn't want something like that?" She confessed with a giggle. 

It was true. The two were the perfect couple: they knew each other so well that they communicated without words, even if the most important things couldn't be said. Then, to lighten up the conversation, she added, "except for you, of course!"

"I have feelings too, gorgeous, and you're hurting them," she complained, taking her hand to her heart, but then she became a little more serious. "That's nice and all, but Hyejin used to be freer, more..."

"Like you?" Yongsun helped her, with no malice, and continued talking without looking at Moonbyul so as not to be distracted. "Many people say that we don't choose who we fall in love with, but, if it's the right person, love can change you."

She looked at Moonbyul after a while, her eyes fixed on hers as if she had said something either very funny, or very interesting. Almost as if she were trying to decipher an enigma. It was strange to see how she had left her speechless for once in the time she knew her. Strange, and very satisfying. She could also leave her breathless, if only to make her think.

"I am beginning to think you might be right," she said, simply, and continued to look at her intensely.

Again that tension... Yongsun wouldn't allow it, so she asked:

"Where are we going?"

"Wherever the wind takes us," Moonbyul replied, although she was clearly still thinking.

Moonbyul unlocked the bike as she got on it, and she threw the backpack on her shoulders, still thoughtful. Yongsun imitated her and, before the blonde could say anything, she started pedaling at full speed. She heard Moonbyul's screams behind her and her frantic exhalations as she tried to keep an eye on her.

"Didn't you say the wind was going to guide us?" She shouted over her shoulder, and then she laughed out loud. Moonbyul had promised her a ride, hadn't she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here we are, once again. This one is a bit transitional so it's kinda boring, sorry. See you on Wednesday!


	11. Strong shields for soft people

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yongsun reminisces about shields and being tired.

She wasn't afraid of getting lost, because she could ride back to campus at will. That was the closest thing to exercising outdoors that she had been able to do in months. 

At one point, with the street clear of people, she closed her eyes and threw her head back. Her hair wasn't in a ponytail, so the black, wavy locks hit her face mercilessly, but even that didn't bother her. She was in her own little bubble of happiness, calm, enjoying the sun and a beautiful day of autumn.

Having slowed down quite a bit, Moonbyul had time to catch up, breathing hard. She gave Yongsun a murderous look, but then her raspy laugh shook her to her core. She had to remember that this "date" was strictly professional, to return a favour.

Both were pedaling quietly, side by side if the width of the sidewalk allowed it. Yongsun couldn't shake off that sense of freedom and happiness, nor did she want to. 

She marveled that Seoul was so... Normal. Just as in her own town, people smiled when they saw them riding their bikes, chattering and laughing. It was mostly Moonbyul who laughed at Yongsun's expense, but if she could see her so happy and with her guard down all the time, she couldn't care less.

In fact, she had only seen her so happy and relaxed once. Wheein and Yongsun were set to go to Yongsun's favorite coffee shop and stuff their mouths with sweet pancakes. It had been a long day, and she wanted to enjoy her friend. She would have liked Seulgi to be there, but she had told her that "her literature essay literature wouldn't write itself, as much as she'd like to."

So when Wheein arrived at the café ten minutes late looking guilty, Yongsun grew suspicious. Her suspicions where cleared when her friend apologized and said that Hyejin was on her way. "She's too cute," she explained, "I can't say no to her...". Yongsun didn't see Hyejin a 'cute', really, but Wheein was crazy about her... And just crazy, too. She told Wheein it was okay, although she was a little upset, but Wheein offered to pay for her, and that made her feel a bit better.

When she saw Moonbyul through the glass of the store, she forgot all her sorrows. Hyejin and she were talking, and their conversation must have been, because they were laughing hard. Then Hyejin made another remark, and Moonbyul nodded. She was obviously happy. Yongsun felt strange, as if she was spying on a very intimate moment, a very hidden part of her.

Then he went into the cafeteria and became that charming and seductive version and that, having taken a look at his true personality, was sadder than appealing to Yongsun.

That's how she felt at the time. Moonbyul was whistling and nodding to the rhythm of a melody that only she could hear. She was not eyeing Yongsun as she always did, nor was there any hint of mockery in her smile. It looked genuine, and that was what amazed her the most. 

She remembered Wheein's comment about Hyejin, "She is too cute!" Yongsun had never seen her like this, but in that moment, when she looked at Moonbyul, she understood. Some people shielded themselves so as not to let others see how they really were, and she assumed Moonbyul must be like that. How tiring...

There was a pleasant silence between them. Moonbyul didn't seem very talkative, and Yongsun kept on admiring her quietly. Now it was Yongsun who followed the red bike, because the afternoon was going by and had to take the pictures before sunset.

"What's that?" Yongsun asked, pointing forward and squinting.

At the end of the street, far away still, there was a swirl of orange and reddish leaves that was calling to Yongsun. The closer they got, the clearer it became that it was...

"A park," Moonbyul replied, her voice obvious.

The mocking smile had returned to her face, and Yongsun didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed.

"The Samcheong, I think. I suppose we've made a detour, it's near the uni," she said, looking at the names of the streets that crossed. At least one of them was keeping track of them. Moonbyul's face lit up. "In autumn it gets beautiful, you'll see."

They tied the bicycles with chains that Moonbyul, who had thought ahead, carried in her backpack. Then, the artist had to find a suitable place to "convey her message". 

Yongsun rolled her eyes and followed her through the streets and alleys of the park as Moonbyul told her how important it was for her to be quiet and still so that the photo would come out well, and how crucial it was to finish the session before the sunset to "use the golden hour light". They passed by beautiful fountains and dreamy gazebos, but Moonbyul shook her head, as if she was looking for something concrete.

Her eyes lit up with a tree that Solar thought looked like any other, perhaps even a little uglier. Its bark was very dark and irregular and some low and stable branches connected to the higher ones. She assumed that was why Moonbyul had chosen it, because she asked her to climb it.

It wasn't too difficult, although perhaps going down might be a challenge. She decided not to think about it at that moment and to follow Moonbyul's instructions to the T.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Happy new years! Here you go, your weekly fix. See you on Saturday!


	12. Falling (in more than one way)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Climbing up trees is not Yongsun's forte.

Moonbyul took pictures of her standing on the branches ("channel your Tarzan energy, I know you have it, deep inside," she had suggested, and when Yongsun almost threw her shoe at her, Moonbyul laughed and said, "That's the spirit!"), hanging upside down like little girl, going from branch to branch like a pirate looking for treasure, or just sitting on the branches and enjoying the breeze and the calm of the park...

The photoshoot was far less sexy than what she had expected, considering who the photographer was, but Yongsun preferred it. The moments of tension were limited to the minimum, but they were inevitable: Yongsun was too weak when Moonbyul caught her off guard. 

The truth is that she was having a lot of fun, although she would occasionally hit on her, maybe to remind her the dynamics of their relationship. Yongsun sighed and she pouted, sadly.

"You okay there, gorgeous? You look..." Moonbyul didn't finish the sentence, as if she didn't fully understand her expression or she didn't want to say it. Moonbyul's voice was strange, genuinely worried. She had complained about Wheein, but she herself had Yongsun pretty confused. "Bored?"

She shook her head vehemently, and her legs for emphasis. The leaves moved slightly, allowing light to filter through them. Yongsun clung a little tighter to the branch so as not to lose her balance. Seulgi's words were loud in her head: "She makes us all feel special for a while, but...". 

She had to forget that.

"Not at all!"

And it was true. She was having a great time, better than in a long time. Too bad everything had to be so complicated between the two of them because of Yongsun's stupid feelings, that even she didn't fully understand: Moonbyul was nice and pretty funny. She didn't talk much, she seemed to like listening more, and Yongsun couldn't care less about being the chatty one. 

All in all, they could become good friends if they both stopped their crap. She had to hold on to that.

The bright smile she gave Moonbyul dissipated the negative feelings inside her. She had to enjoy the moment, or she was going to go crazy. Moonbyul, instead of returning her smile, stood behind the camera and took a picture. Yongsun looked at the photographer in confusion.

"You looked beautiful," Moonbyul said suddenly, reminding her why they couldn't be friends. A friend couldn't make your heart leap so much. She felt the smile falling off her face, but she tried to keep it in place. Moonbyul seemed strange and looked at the floor instead of her. Had she left herself speechless? Her power... 

She cleared her throat. Was she uncomfortable? "The light was shining in your eyes, you know."

It sounded like an excuse, but Yongsun wouldn't start daydreaming just yet. Moonbyul's face became mocking when she added, "well, get down here, monkey."

The moment of truth. Yongsun got to the lowest branch and looked down at the ground. It was pretty far way. She couldn't jump nor slide, her only ways down. Of course, Moonbyul had to choose the most rugged tree in the park. She sighed, mentally prepared for falling on her butt. She crouched and blindly looked for a ledge with her foot, but her knee grazed a hand instead of bark.

"I'll help you, don't worry."

Moonbyul seemed very eager to help her, and very happy to touch Yongsun as she tried to climb down without looking like a drunken squirrel. It had been a long time since they had touched each other, but she still felt the same chills as the first time at the party. Some things never changed. 

She felt Moonbyul's fingers tickling her thighs as they walked their way up to grab her by the waist, and it was too much for her. She looked back for a second, saw the black intense eyes that drove her crazy. She felt chills and her grip grew weak.

She was too high to fall gracefully into Moonbyul's arms, and too close to the tree, so her knees slid painfully down the trunk. She grimaced in pain, though she had had it way worse. Her shins burned, and her legs were sap-stained and full of bits of black bark. Her skin a little torn up, but it was nothing serious.

Moonbyul looked beyond concerned. She turned her over to face her and examined her thoroughly, especially her legs.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry, I don't know, you just slipped," she apologized profusely, biting her lip. She looked as guilty as if she herself had rubbed Yongsun against the tree. "Can you walk?"

Yongsun laughed out loud. That time when she almost split her head open pole dancing had been serious, now there were nothing but scratches. She moved her legs to make sure she was fine, and indeed she was. 

She moved a little away from Moonbyul and kicked her directly in the chest. It fell a bit short, as she planned it. She then put both feet back on the ground, winked and gave her a carefree smile.

"You'd need more than that to knock me out."

Now it was Moonbyul's turn to roll her eyes, although she giggled, releasing the tension she seemed to have felt. Yongsun was flattered to have caused such intense concern, although Moonbyul's comment clipped her wings:

"If you wanted me to put you against the tree, you just had to say so, baby."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! This chapter is kinda funny, hehe. We're gething closer and closer to the end. See you on Wednesday!


	13. The grass is always greener...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyejin is distressed and Yongsun is devastated,

She would like to be able to say that the photoshoot had been an isolated incident, that she hadn't seen gone out with Moonbyul since then... But he would be lying. There hadn't been many of them: she hadn't allowed herself to. Somehow, she had to be strong against the attempts of the uni's greatest playgirl.

Also, Yongsun had thought that, the more she resisted, the longer their relationship would continue. The fact that Moonbyul seemed to be having a good time when she was with her was a bit disorienting. Not in a merely romantic sense, because there could be no romance at all if one of them didn't want to, but in a broader one... They enjoyed each other's company. They understood each other well, they had fun! Why couldn't that be enough to get Moonbyul's attention, even a little?

However, the frequency of their outings had been decreasing more and more, from seeing each other every couple of days to doing it weekly, if that. It already was the first week of November, and Yongsun hadn't seen her for 8 days. More or less. Not that she was counting.

Normally, it was Moonbyul chasing her around campus or knocking on her door, offering her a ride or asking for help for a photo session. The first few times she suggested staying in her room, Yongsun had dismissed it, so she didn't even try anymore. She didn't trust any of their impulses. The last time they had seen each other, Moonbyul acted a little strange, cautious and confused.

Yongsun had given her her number, after Moonbyul had asked for it countless times. She thought the girl would text her nonstop, but no: not a single one. How could she have grown tired so soon? She hadn't even given her what she was wanted yet! not that she would, ever, but...

Yongsun sighed, picking up her class notes from the table, putting her highlighters away. She had spent the entire day daydreaming, and she wasn't very proud of it.

She'd love to stop acting so strong, to let her guard down, but... Yongsun felt like knocking her head on the table, but perhaps it would draw her classmates' attention. When she had packed everything, she closed the zipper of her backpack and she threw it over her shoulder, as if carrying all the weight of the world on them. Slowly, she made her way back to her room.

It was a gray, depressing Wednesday. She closed her coat tightly, pulled her scarf closer to her mouth. The night before, it had rained very hard. It was still drizzling, but she didn't have an umbrella. The icy wind swept shreds of fog around the campus park. Her fingers were frozen and her skin was dry and cracked, but she had forgotten her gloves at the residence, so she breathed into her hands, in vain. Her faculty was very close, so she thought about her warm room, but even that didn't quite cheer her up.

It was a bad day, plain and simple. She didn't want anyone to come near her until she was inside the residence, but sometimes it doesn't rain to everyone's liking.

"Yongsuuun!"

Though she knew perfectly well that this voice was not the right one, her head leapt. And, obviously, it was Hyejin, who approached her running, not even stopping to think for a moment about the slippery tiles under her boots. Her face must have shown the disappointment she felt, because her friend raised her eyebrows and imitated the protagonist of her thoughts quite accurately.

"Were you hiding from me, gorgeous?"

Yongsun rolled her eyes and resumed her walk to the residence. Unfortunately for Hyejin, she wasn't up for anything.

"It's not me who's hiding," she mumbled very quietly to herself, and looked forward as she walked so as not to see the empathy in her friend's dark eyes. Yongsun didn't want to feel any more pathetic. She forced herself to draw a tiny tired smile and add, "What's up?"

"The sky," Hyejin replied, though it was half-hearted. She must have realized it wasn't a good time, but everyone's problems are the most important thing to them, so she kept talking. "I was looking for you, Wheein told me that you get out of class at this time on Wednesdays. I wanted to ask you a question..."

Because of the intensity with which she was speaking, the question must have had something to do with Wheein. Yongsun confirmed it when Hyejin looked both ways, as if someone were spying on them. She laughed at her paranoid appearance as she felt her mood improve. That fool always made her feel better.

"Okay, I'll tell you," she snapped unprompted, after playing with her hair for a while. Hyejin looked very nervous when she finally confessed, "You know what I... That I... I like Wheein!" She yelled, and then she looked everywhere again, very worried. Her only company was the rain and the cold, and Yongsun. She cleared her throat and recovered a little. "It's pretty obvious, but she doesn't know, and I get so nervous when I try to tell her... You know her better than I do, what do I do?"

"Tell her," Hyejin snorted and rolled her eyes, but Yongsun interrupted her. "I'm serious! Do you think she hasn't noticed that you like her? You get all heart-eyed when you see her. She's waiting for you to take the next step."

Yongsun couldn't help but feel a little resentment toward Wheein and Hyejin, though she tried not to. They had it so easy, love was right at their fingertips and they didn't want to reach for it, for some strange reason. Yongsun wasn't that much of a coward. If it had been up to her, that little star of happiness would have been in her pocket for weeks, and she would have been sending her cute texts at that very moment...

"Enjoy it, you have it easy," she added bitterly, and bit her lip, regretting it instantly. "I'm sorry, you've chosen a bad day, I'm not really in the mood. It's just... I really don't understand her."

Hyejin, however, understood her immediately.

"Sometimes even I don't understand her." Surprised, Yongsun realized that her friend seemed upset. At Moonbyul? What had she done? They were like two peas in a pod. "I understand old habits die hard, but if she's already figured it out, why does she ignore you?"

What Hyejin had just said made no sense to her. They had just entered the residence, which seemed far more important. She felt a wave of cozy warmth, and took a deep breath. Yongsun could speak honestly with Hyejin, as her friend had done before, although she did not even know how to begin. If Moonbyul was 'confused,' she was much more so.

"I'm not asking much of her," Yongsun said, to begin with, and from then on the words flowed out of her mouth. "I'm not asking her for anything! I just... I can't do it. I can't. I'm sure there are girls who can handle it, and I admire them, but I'm not one of them, and Moonbyul knows it, she knew it from the beginning. Why did she push it so much? Why does she behave as if she likes me one day and ignores me the next?"

Her breath had stirred. Her hands were shaking, but not from the cold. She still didn't want to look at Hyejin. She knew what she would see. 'You're making a scene in the middle of the residence, calm down,' she scolded herself. It wasn't easy. Her friend wanted to guide her to the waiting room, but she didn't let her, so she went to the elevator instead. Normally she would go up the stairs, but the day and the conversation had stripped her of any strength she might have had. They rode up silently.

"I don't want to hate her like Seulgi does," Yongsun confessed when the light indicated that they were on the first floor. Hyejin's was on the fifth floor, but her words had run out and it was hard to keep talking. Second floor. Third... "But I don't know if I can go away and forget everything. I don't know if I can turn back."

It was the last thing she said before leaving the elevator, completely defeated.


	14. Cashing favours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suspicious giggles and a bruise on her foot, that's what Yongsun gets.

She spent a good hour lying on bed and looking at the ceiling, watching it get darker and darker. She had left class at four o'clock, and the sun was completely covered by clouds. Then, it would soon begin to get dark. The rain had stopped and the clouds were dissipating. That night would be drier than the previous. Her tears also dried down, though only for the moment. The subject was too complex to make a final decision, but what she knew was that she didn't want to cry anymore, at least until the day was over.

She didn't feel like turning on her mobile phone and reading Wheein's worried messages, whom Hyejin would have told about her little crisis, or Seulgi's, whom Wheein would have warned. She wanted neither their empathy nor their kindness, much less feeling like an idiot who hadn't listened to the warnings.

No, no, she wasn't going to go back into that spiral. She focused on things she felt like doing. A warm shower sounded good, so she didn't think it over, took her bathrobe and turned on the water.

She took her time trying to cleanse all the negative thoughts she had had lately massaging her hair and washing her body thoroughly. It was a long and laborious process, but she was in no hurry, so she was there longer than he would normally have. 

Still in her bathrobe, she plugged the dryer, and went from lock to lock slowly, curling them with care. Not even when she was about to leave did she take such care of her appearance, although, really, what she was taking care of at the time was her mental health.

When she was done, she looked in the mirror, still with the brush in her hand. The reflection showed a girl with flushed cheeks from the heat of the bathroom, and very pretty hair. She tried to smile. She looked kinda pretty, although she would be prettier if the smile reached her eyes.

Knocks on the door startled her, and the brush fell on her foot.

"Ow!" She howled in pain, and grabbed her foot, jumping on the other.

That would leave a bruise. The whole zen moment had been erased. The pain was ebbing, but her anger grew. Who dared to bother her when she was immersed in her relaxation ritual? She assumed it was either Wheein or Seulgi or both, who were tired of her ignoring their texts. Well, their hands would fall off, because she didn't want to see them. She didn't want to see anyone, no exceptions. In no way was she going to open, whoever it was...

"Yongsun, are you there?"

And that's as far as her resolution went, because, of course, there was one exception: Moonbyul. She didn't think twice before running to the door and jerking it open so harshly that almost pulled it out of the hinges. 

The girl on the other side of the door blinked in surprise. Her eyes wandered, though she tried hard to keep them on Yongsun's face, and the same thing happened to her: her dark plum pants and blazer stood out against Moonbyul's creamy skin, and her mouth was watering. 

Yongsun blushed to her ears when she realized: she was still in her bathrobe, and it was quite obvious that she wasn't wearing any clothes. She closed it a little, dignified, and tried to make her voice confident:

"What do you want?"

She had tried to prevent her tone leaking the resentment she felt, but she still seemed upset. 'It's only been about eight days without seeing her or even texting, I shouldn't be so angry,' she told herself. But she was, and some feelings are stronger than reason.

For some reason, Moonbyul's face was overshadowed with guilt.

"Can I come in?"

Yongsun was sure she'd never heard her like that, almost as begging. Yongsun frowned: it had to be a trap... Nevertheless, she moved to the side. She didn't really want to be half naked on the threshold of her room. She crossed her arms, waiting for something, surely an explanation, but Moonbyul's words confused her:

"Have you eaten anything today?"

"Of course," she replied, although calling the sandwich she had eaten between classes a meal was to be very generous. "Well, more or less."

"Seulgi told me that sometimes you forget to eat," Moonbyul continued, overlooking how sharp Yongsun's voice was. The blonde was constantly shifting her weight from one leg to another, and she seemed very insecure. That, she'd never seen before, for sure. Besides, how could Seulgi have said anything to her, if they didn't talk to each other? "And, well, I wanted to make sure that, at least today, you had a good meal. Since you've been helping me so much with the photos..."

That had caught Yongsun completely by surprise. She stared at Moonbyul for a long time, trying to figure out what she might want from her and why she was being so shady. The blonde chuckled, nervous.

"You look like a fish, with your mouth open like that."

She earned a murderous look, which made her shut up and swallow hard. She tried to smile naturally. Yongsun struggled to make sure that smile didn't drive her crazy.

"Wait here," she barked as she took her phone and she locked herself in the bathroom. She dialed the number of the only Moonbyul expert she knew. As soon as she picked up, Yongsun asked in a very low voice. "Can you tell me what she's playing at now?"

"Nope," Seulgi replied. She seemed to be smiling. Seulgi smiling as they talked about Moonbyul? Had world turned upside down? Her friend laughed, 'I promised her I'd keep quiet. Sorry."

"What has she done to you?" She couldn't understand it. If there was anyone she could trust to talk crap about Moonbyul's, that was Seulgi. She had no clue how she could have convinced her. "At least tell me how she bought you off."

She heard some laughs that didn't come from Seulgi, but which were close to her. Knowing them, it had to be Wheein and Hyejin. Were they all laughing at her misfortune together?

"Being honest for once in her life," her friend finally replied. There it was, that tiny hint of grudge in her voice. At least she knew Moonbyul hadn't killed her and replaced her with a robot. "Yongsun, listen to me. Go with her, there are no tricks up her sleeve this time. Chill. Enjoy!"

A few more giggle and she hung up on Yongsun, leaving her with the word in her mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! Finally things are starting to smooth over, let's hope it lasts. See you next Wednesday!


	15. You make me feel special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past always comes back to bite your...

Sitting behind Moonbyul on her motorcycle, on her way to a restaurant, wasn't what she had pictured for that ordinary Wednesday night. She had never ridden a bike before, and it was a bit difficult, because the slit of her red dress went up to her thigh. The fabric fluttered, and she was cold. On the other hand, she was very close to Moonbyul, and she could hug her as much as she wanted without it being weird. It was her first time, it was normal for her to be afraid, wasn't it?

Except she wasn't afraid at all, or at least not because of the bike thing. She trusted Moonbyul to know what was doing, and she seemed to be driving well, even though Yongsun didn't know much about it.

No, she wasn't afraid of the motorcycle, but of... Whatever that was. Was it a date? If someone had asked her yesterday, she would have said no, no doubt. Moonbyul would never ask her out, like, romantically. But now... She wasn't sure. If it wasn't, it looked awfully similar to one. They hadn't spoken much after she came out of her bathroom. She had prettied herself up, even if she didn't know exactly what they were up to. Maybe Moonbyul would take her to McDonald's and she made a fool of herself... 'No, she's all dressed up, too,' she remembered, although she tried not to think too much about it and focus on the issue at hand: what the hell did Moonbyul want from her.

Yongsun was always ready to give her own time up whenever Moonbyul had asked her to go somewhere; her body, also, just as she had asked her that first time for the photoshoot; and also... Her heart, what was the point in denying her feelings? Surely even Moonbyul knew. Was she playing with her?

If that was a game, Moonbyul took it quite seriously, because the restaurant they stopped at seemed more elegant than Yongsun was used to. Of course, the most sophisticated thing she could afford was the Lotteria kimchi burger, but still...

Moonbyul helped her off the bike. Even though she didn't need it, because surely Yongsun had much better balance than she did, she accepted her hand gladly and smiled brightly at her. They had started the night off on the wrong foot and it was still a little confusing, but trying to enjoy a little wouldn't hurt.

"Well, photographers do get paid well, don't they?" Yongsun, who hadn't been very nice from the beginning, was forced to break the ice after a very nice waitress found a table for them and wrote down their orders.

Moonbyul, who had seemed tense from the very moment Yongsun had opened the door to her room, relaxed a bit, enough to laugh teasingly and shake her head. That raspy laugh gave her chills every single time.

"Far from it." Moonbyul put away a lock of blond hair came out of her ponytail, and she rested an elbow on the table. She gave Yongsun a smile so beautiful that she should patent it and sell it, one of those charming smiles that took her breath away. "But models' wages are different. This is my way of thanking you."

'I would have settled for a text,' Yongsun thought bitterly, but kept smiling. She preferred to follow that route of conversation: it was familiar, fun and, above all, comfortable. Natural.

"You know, if you need someone to climb trees and then fall, I'm your girl."

From then on, everything went better. They caught up on what they had been up to, and complained to each other about everything they had to do, even though Yongsun couldn't even feel the pressure of having thousands of essays to do. She felt regret as something very foreign to her at the time, something totally insubstantial. Her previous concerns were, too. She was with Moonbyul, eating delicious food, having fun with her and seeing her beautiful smile, what more could she ask for? Everything was going as usual, but...

"Wow, I hadn't realized, you're very pretty."

Oh, God. She didn't meant to say that aloud. There had been a short moment of silence in the conversation, as they were waiting to order dessert, and Yongsun had noticed it just then. How could she have overlooked how good Moonbyul looked in a ponytail? More importantly, why was she such a blabbermouth?!

Moonbyul blushed, surprised, so she wasn't entirely convincing when she arched her eyebrows and asked her:

"Did you think I was ugly up until now?"

"No, of course not!"

Yongsun didn't know how she had made such a big mistake. It was her fault, of course, but she blamed Moonbyul, too, for being so beautiful that night. She could only tell the truth... She tried not to sound too intense, not to show how crazy she was for her.

"I meant that... You wouldn't have to be pretty, you don't need to." Moonbyul seemed even more confused, although she could tell she was having fun. Yongsun wanted to rip her own tongue out. "Beauty is not your best quality. Oh, that still sounds very bad, doesn't it? But I think the best thing about you is your... Charisma? And you know it!" She added, in response to the sceptical chuckle of Moonbyul. "You are charismatic and charming, and you always know what to do to make someone feel special."

"Do I make you feel special?" Moonbyul asked after a second that lasted an eternity. Yongsun was afraid of her voice breaking, so she just nodded. Moonbyul gave her a different smile, sweet and nervous. "That's all that matters to me."

"Moonbyul..."

"You like them naïve, eh, Byulie? I guess it's easier for you."

Withdrawing her eyes from Moonbyul's hypnotic black ones kicked her into reality. The girl who had talked was tall, her dark hair in a ponytail, and an angry face. She wore a white uniform with the name of the restaurant on her left lapel, and hers on her right: Chanmi. She hadn't heard Moonbyul talk about her. 'She surely doesn't tell her other girls about you either,' Yongsun realized, uneasy.

"What are you doing here?" Moonbyul spat. She gave Yongsun a worried look, but she still couldn't react yet.

Chanmi kept on before Yongsun could do anything, and this time she turned to her, slightly more compassionately:

"How long has this liar been deluding you, a couple of weeks?" Actually, it had been longer, but Yongsun nodded slightly. Chanmi sighed and gave Moonbyul a poisonous look. "Last week she slept with my friend Yooa. I am so sorry to tell you this, but she has no feelings for you."

"I didn't do anything with Yooa, I just went to tell her that I couldn't see her anymore for this very reason," Moonbyul quickly clarified, and turned to her. "Yongsun, you have to believe me."

Moonbyul was as tense as she had at the residence, and Yongsun was tired. So, so tired... She heard them arguing as if everything was alien to her, as if she wasn't really involved.

She knew it. She knew it from the beginning. Why would Moonbyul stop seeing all the girls she literally had at her feet? Yongsun wasn't reason enough to walk away from that lifestyle. She got it, but she was sick of being played with. Tired of all her friends justifying her, tired of situations like those. Moonbyul's 'exes' were everywhere, and Yongsun wasn't prepared to face them all. She didn't know if she would ever be ready, but she didn't need to, right? Moonbyul wasn't interested in her that way.

She rummaged through her purse, looking without really seeing, and pulled out a few bills that she placed on the table. She didn't even know if it was enough or, on the contrary, too much, but Moonbyul placed her hand on Yongsun's.

"Don't do that, I told you I'd pay."

"I don't want anything from you," she snapped, icy as she got up. She was sure the other customers would have noticed by now, but she didn't care. "I don't want to owe you any favors ever again."

Yongsun left with nothing: no hope, no plan, no vehicle to take her back to campus. She only had her broken heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! I missed and update yesterday, ups. It was my birthday so I was kinda busy, hehe. Hope you liked the chapter, see you on Saturday!


	16. Honey-sweet, razor-sharp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of beautiful girls and painful situations.

Half an hour later, Yongsun began to regret running away. She had picked a cozy coat, but she hadn't put on tights, so her legs were frozen. When she sneezed for the fourth time in a row, she realized she had no idea where she was walking to.

The easiest and most logical way out of that situation would be to call Wheein or Seulgi, but they didn't have a car either so they couldn't come and pick her up. She unlocked her phone with trembling hands and, indeed, she had five missed calls from each one, and thirty texts. She also had some from Moonbyul. Because of the way Seulgi had encouraged her to go with her, they all had to be aware of the situation, and that repelled her even more. If she didn't want empathy before, she wanted it even less then.

She turned it off. It wasn't too late, so she could always take a bus... However, there was no one on the street to ask which one to take. It was Wednesday, so it wasn't exactly a day to take an icy walk at night. If she wasn't so sad and deep in thought, maybe she would have been worried or even afraid, but she couldn't think of anything other than the pain in Chanmi's face and the despair of Moonbyul's. Would she be looking for her?

"Yongsun?"

She turned to the voice, but knew it wasn't Moonbyul: the voice was manly. He wasn't very tall and had small almond-shaped eyes and beautiful lips. He looked very familiar, but why? The guy, who had been smiling, suddenly realized how she was shivering and came closer, his face tinged with worry.

"What happened? Come on, let's go inside."

Yongsun lacked strength to say no, and he clearly knew her. She followed him into the quiet bar. There were, at best, ten people there, and he went to a table with only one boy sitting. There was music in the background and, onstage, a beautiful girl was singing. She was short and thin and had her platinum blond hair braided into a long ponytail. Her eyes were closed, but when she opened them, they seemed light in the distance. Even with them open, she seemed to see no one, as if she were in her own bubble as she moved gracefully to the music. The melancholy in her voice had touched Yongsun, who couldn't take her eyes from her.

"You've taken your time, Eric. Oh, hi, Yongsun!" That voice, she did recognize. High but masculine. Jimin ran his hand through his hair as he spoke. And the boy who had recognized her was Eric Nam, from the party at the beginning of the year. Like Eric when he had seen her, Jimin squinted, a little worried. "Are you alright? You look pale as a sheet."

He made room for her next to him. But the girl on the stage had stopped singing and, after jumping off the stage, she walked towards them with a wide smile.

"This girl looks in need of a good shot," she said as she leaned against the table and looked at her exposed leg area empathetically. Her worry didn't bother Yongsun. "Will you stay with us?"

Either the girl hadn't noticed the look on Yongsun's face, or she didn't care. Or, perhaps, her expression had changed as she saw her approach. Who could blame her? She was even prettier up close, and her light blue eyes shone in the dark. Her every gesture was graceful. Yongsun had wanted to go back home, but it did not surprise her that, when she opened her mouth, she said:

"Of course."

They welcomed her with open arms, and after a while and a few rounds of shots, Yongsun was having fun. Everyone was very nice to her and made her feel integrated, explaining their inner jokes so that she too could laugh too. She found out that Eric was a senior in International Studies, and that the girl, who introduced herself as Chungha, was studying Dance at a nearby school, and also worked as a dance assistant in a studio. Jimin had met her there, she was her teacher.

"By the way, Yongsun, I don't want to stick my nose into other people's business, but why are you alone? Where's Seulgi?"

"She can't come with me to all my dates, that would be weird."

Jimin had asked him in a strange tone, not casual at all, as if he were trying to get information out of her, and he had had his mobile phone in his hand for a long time. She should have assumed Jimin would tell Seulgi. Yongsun regretted to have answered, and got to her feet.

"I'm going outside, I need some fresh air."

What she really wanted to do was escape from there. She didn't want to be interrogated by her friends, much less by two strangers and a pretty girl. She closed her coat a bit more, grateful for the warmth the alcohol had made her feel, and sat down in the metal tube for motorcycles to be chained. It took her longer than usual to balance comfortably: too many shots... Back to the plan A: find a way to get out of there before they went after her. She was about to stand up and go ask at another bar when a voice paralyzed her:

"Yongsun. Thank goodness."

Moonbyul had her hand over her heart and seemed beyond relieved. She put the easel on her bike and got off right away. Yongsun got deeper into her coat. All the strength she could have recovered in that couple of hours had vanished, but finding her seemed to have lightened Moonbyul up. She approached her with guilt in her gaze.

"Come with me, please. You'll catch a cold if you stay here..."

Moonbyul grazed her arm, still undecided about whether to grab her and take her on her motorcycle against her will or not. As always when Moonbyul was involved, Yongsun no longer knew what she wanted. Part of her felt like going with her to the end of the world, but another voice whispered that she couldn't go on like this, that her heart couldn't stand it...

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she opened her mouth to say something, though she didn't know what, but someone got ahead of her:

"If I were you, I wouldn't touch her."

Yongsun turned her head to the voice, even though she knew who it was. She thanked Chungha for coming alone with a glance, and was immediately comforted by her presence. She wasn't too intimidating next to Moonbyul, who was barely looking at her, as if she were nothing more than an annoying bug.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I don't think Yongsun's in much of a mood for anything right now," Chungha explained, her voice thick with fake sweetness. She flashed Moonbyul one of her dazzling smiles as she put a hand on Yongsun's shoulder. She approached Chungha instinctively. "An asshole broke her heart."

Moonbyul's fingers stopped grazing Yongsun's arm, almost as if her savior's words had burned her, and she drilled Chungha with her inescrutable black eyes. Yongsun hoped that the truth would choke her and leave her with as bad a taste in her mouth as she had had when she heard Chanmi.

"I wonder who was the fool who upset such a beautiful girl," Chungha added, with honey in her voice and daggers in her eyes.

It must have been an illusion of the moment, but Moonbyul's eyes seemed to turn red like blood, such was the anger she felt. Yongsun had to get Chungha out of there, she didn't want her to get into trouble because of her. She was already doing enough for her. She felt she had to intervene, but she want to interact with Moonbyul any more than necessary.

She got up from the tube and deliberately turned her back on her so she wouldn't lose courage when she saw the pain in Moonbyul's face.

"Do you have room for one more in your apartment?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Early update today, I had nothing to do. That's good sometimes, isn't it? See you on the next one!


	17. A slice of paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All goes well... Until it doesn't.

"How're Wheein and Seulgi doing, honey? It's been a long time since you've filled me in."

'That's because I barely talk to them,' Yongsun thought bitterly. Everything had changed after that grey Wednesday. She had gone with Chungha to her flat, who had taken her in without a second thought. She had treated her better than anyone had, lending her clothes, bringing Yongsun food from her favorite restaurants when she came home from work, buying her a toothbrush...

She had stayed there until Saturday morning, when Chungha had told her that, although it didn't bother her at all to have her there, she didn't think being locked up would be healthy or productive for Yongsun. Since she was absolutely right and Yongsun didn't want to abuse her kindness, she had changed back into the clothes she had arrived in three nights earlier and had announced that she was going back home.

Chungha had applauded her decision, sweet as ever. Yongsun couldn't believe how lucky she was to have found her. She had offered her a refuge, and had managed to keep her from missing her friends and Moonbyul when she was by her side. Her mere presence illuminated any room, and that light reached into the saddest corners of her heart. In addition to being the most beautiful girl she had ever seen, she was a great healer with a huge heart. Yongsun would have given anything to make Moonbyul act a bit like her.

For all that, for all the gratitude and affection received, Yongsun had kissed her just before she left. She had not felt pressured, not even nervous. She was certain that it was the right thing to do. Nevertheless, Chungha had pushed her away with her blue eyes full of sadness. "I know you are not ready for this yet," she had said, holding her hand to Yongsun's cheek. "We can take it easy, okay?" Yongsun had nodded just to see her beautiful smile.

Since then, they had been inseparable. Yongsun went to all her classes because, after all, she was a good student and the exams were coming up. However, the residence brought back bad memories, and the nights she slept there were rare and far apart. She spent as much time as she could in Chungha's flat, and prepared dinner for her when she came home from work. She stopped by the studio to see her teaching from time to time, but not too much, because Jimin always bothered her to 'pick up Seulgi's phone.?

Her failed attempt at a date with Moonbyul severed her relationship with Wheein and Seulgi. The few times they had been together had turned out to be very tense and uncomfortable, and Seulgi had confronted her once, telling her that she couldn't run away from her problems permanently. Yongsun had told her to mind her own business rather aggressively. Seulgi hadn't called her back since.

She had passed the baton to Wheein, the 'good cop,' but, as always, Yongsun didn't want to be treated like a child. She just wanted... She wasn't quite sure what she wanted, really.

The one who had remained most neutral was, surprisingly, Hyejin. Yongsun assumed she was used to Moonbyul screwing up with 'her girls,' so she treated the situation more naturally. She couldn't be more grateful for her because, even if she lied to herself, sometimes she did need a friend to talk to. Chungha's tenderness and affection could be a little overwhelming.

Also, as Hyejin rightly said, she needed Yongsun. She had finally summoned up the courage to ask Wheein for a date, a real one, with romantic purposes. After hours of brainstorming, they had decided she was going to take Wheein to a pottery class. It was perfect: Wheein loved to get her hands dirty and to sculpt, but she had no idea how to model wet clay yet. Hyejin didn't, either, but at least they would have fun together. Wheein had said yes, although they weren't sure if she had fully understood her intentions. In fact, the date was taking place that same day, so Hyejin kept sending her audios in a very low voice because "if I text my phone'll break, I've got clay up to my neck".

"They're fine," Yongsun finally replied. Chungha looked at her, concerned. She didn't like that she had distanced herself from her friends, but no one could convince her otherwise. Yongsun hurried to add more information. "Wheein said yes to Hyejin, so now they're getting clay all over themselves."

"How cute!"

Chungha laughed as she parked near the campus entrance. Even her laughter was elegant and melodic. Yongsun tried not to think about what he had done to deserve that angel.

"Well, this is your stop, honey."

That night, Chungha's parents were going to dinner at her house for Thanksgiving. Although they also celebrated Chuseok, having lived in the United States for so many years, they combined both celebrations. She had insisted that she stay and celebrate with them, but Yongsun didn't think she was ready for that kind of commitment yet. Would she ever be?

She hated spending the night without Chungha, it gave her too much time to think. But she struggled to look happy when she wished her a good time. She kissed the girl goodbye, then got out of the car. Chungha blew her a kiss before driving away.

'What now?'

That's what she wondered, although, in the cold weather, there was nothing left for her but what she did: to go and take refuge in the residence. She would have preferred it to be Chungha's arms, but oh well.

As soon as she put one foot inside and the heat enveloped her like a blanket, her phone began to ring. She wasn't going to take it because she could barely feel her fingers, but it was Hyejin and, knowing her, she might be calling her from the hospital because she had fallen into the clay furnace. She picked up and Hyejin's voice shrieked right in her ear. Ouch. She moved the phone away from her ear a little and let it stop shouting before bringing it closer. With that reaction, only one thing could have happened, the most obvious:

"Wheein told me she likes me! You were right! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

She should have been extremely happy for Hyejin. She should have been extremely happy, at least for Wheein, her friend for as long as she could remember. Then why did she feel as if she had been kicked in the stomach?


	18. Rockbottom, downhill, all of the above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mistakes were made, regrets are there.

"What are you doing here?"

Moonbyul seemed extremely confused when she opened the door. Yongsun was too, and doubly so: she had no idea what had brought her there and, moreover, she didn't expect Moonbyul to be in her room on a Friday night. She had imagined that a girl as in demand as Moonbyul would go out every day, but apparently she had taken that day off.

'I'm so lucky,' she thought ironically.

Unless, of course, she liked home delivery. She looked over her shoulder, but there was no girl to be seen. Also, Moonbyul was wearing soft, blue, kitten-printed pajamas. She didn't look like she was going to go out or meeting anyone.

"Take out the cocktail shaker."

She couldn't think of anything else that would make her feel a little better than momentarily avoiding her problems with booze. Moonbyul looked at her from top to bottom with a variety of expressions, ranging from surprise to sadness, from sadness to anger. She moved away a little, and Yongsun, who didn't want the blonde to see her hesitate, went straight to sit at the foot of her bed as if it were the most normal thing in the world, as if she had done it a thousand times before.

In fact, she had never been in there before. When she had imagined Moonbyul's room, she'd pictured a place designed to attract girls. Red lights, some roses to give it a false romantic touch...

However, the reality was quite different. Everything was quite simple. There was a pile of books on the desk and many scattered notes, sheets of paper coming out of the drawers. She didn't have a mirror, unlike Wheein, but she did have a small blue pot with tiny white flowers. Also, as you might expect, the walls were covered in photos: there were lots of Hyejin alone, both smiling, two girls who looked a lot like Moonbyul, those two girls with a man and a woman...

There were pictures of Yongsun, too. One, very close to the headboard, she could recognized with the naked eye. It was the one who had taken before telling her she looked beautiful, their first photo session. Her heart shrank.

"Is your girlfriend with you solving your problems with booze?"

As busy as she was checking out the walls, she hadn't noticed that Moonbyul hadn't chickened out. She'd sat on the bed, more towards the window than towards her, and she challenged Yongsun with her eyes as much as with her words. Yongsun snorted.

"Chungha is none of your business," she snapped.

Although she would have preferred to have stabbed herself rather than seeing Moonbyul's eyes as sad as they got, she couldn't help it. There was too much indignation inside her.

"A few weeks ago, it would have been my business."

Yongsun couldn't bear to take the sad route. She would collapse. She was already doing it just from see Moonbyul's drooping shoulders. What she wanted most was to hug her and tell her she was sorry, to forgive her... But she couldn't do that. She couldn't let Moonbyul make fun of her and her feelings once more.

"It's never been any of your business, Moonbyul," her words were harsh and a little cruel, but her tone softened them. She was as sad and hopeless as Moonbyul was, more so even, and she added quietly, "as much as I would have liked that."

Moonbyul's face was full of indecision, guilt and agony. Yongsun held her arm towards her, looking for a way to make her feel better, but she didn't know how. She lowered her arm and stood up.

"Coming here was a bad idea, I'm sorry. I'll..."

She didn't get to finish, because Moonbyul's hand rushed to grab her wrist. Even though she was wearing cozy pajamas, her fingers were cold. Yongsun understood: she too felt very cold. Strangely, those icy fingers were warming her inside. Moonbyul pulled Yongsun towards her, making her sit closer, in the middle of the bed.

"No."

Yongsun frowned, though she did nothing to get Moonbyul to let her go.

"Why not?"

Moonbyul's head hung back, looking up and sighing. At the ceiling, many photos were connected to each other by silver threads simulating constellations. It was beautiful, though Moonbyul wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were closed and she breathed in, as if mentally preparing for what she wanted to say. Yongsun could only wait patiently until she had her black eyes on her again.

"Because it is time I was honest with you. For me to tell you everything as it happened. Perhaps then you will stop hating me so much."

Yongsun's first instinct was to tell her not to be silly. Of course she didn't hate her... But she didn't know whether she could say it convincingly, so she kept quiet. Moonbyul took another breath and frowned.

"You know I don't do commitment." Yongsun rolled her eyes, but Moonbyul wouldn't let that stop her. "I've always thought that life is too short to tie yourself to someone permanently before you've tasted the world, so I tasted it... A lot."

"Yes, Moonbyul, we all know you're irresistible," she interrupted her, leaning against the wall.

She wasn't getting off to a good start if she wanted Yongsun to forgive her. Moonbyul kept talking as if nothing had happened.

"I didn't think too much about how I left the girls that crossed my path. Some took it better, some worse, but that wasn't very important to me," she confessed, her voice repentant, and she bit her lip. That didn't seem to be easy for her. 'Of course, you can't care when you're a fucking liar," Yongsun thought, but she appreciated her honesty. "And when I met you, I didn't think anything would change. You were new and you were very hot, and that was all that mattered. Seulgi hated me, rightfully so, and you were joined at the hip, but I had faced worse odds. You played hard to get, but you weren't the first to do so, and I didn't think you'd be the last..."

She stopped to clear his throat. She looked uncomfortable, but Yongsun had been in a much worse state for weeks, so although she felt a little sorry for her, she thought a good bruising would do wonders to her ego.

"I don't know why you and not any of the others. No, I'm not going to start with the 'you're special' thing," she raced again, because Yongsun was shooting daggers at her, "but... You were right about what you said to me, that time."

'Many people say that we don't choose who we fall in love with, but if it's the right person, love changes you,' that's what she'd told Moonbyul. At the time she didn't know how true her words were and what special meaning they would have for her in the future. That was one of the last days she had been confused by her feelings. Now she wasn't, but...

"But it's too late," Moonbyul finished for her, showing her that she was following her line of thought.

Looking defeated, she imitated Yongsun and leaned her back against the wall. She was so close that she could feel her heat, and the distance between them hurt. Moonbyul turned her head slightly toward her and gave her a sad smile.

"I spoke to Seulgi. I apologized to her. I had to grovel a little," she remembered, rolling her eyes. That partly explained her friend's good mood in telling her to go with Moonbyul, "but there were many girls like her. I had already tried to explain and apologize to those I could reach, but some wouldn't pick up my calls and Yooa was one of them. So I went to her room, yes. I suppose Chanmi saw me."

Yongsun wanted to believe her. She was sure that, if she were to ask Seulgi, she would say Moonbyul wasn't lying. She seemed sincere. But after so many disappointments, she didn't know if her heart could accept it and go on as if nothing had happened. She imperceptibly approached Moonbyul, who leaned her head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling.

"Why can't we be like Wheein and Hyejin?"

Seeing Moonbyul's wet eyes was more than Yongsun was willing to put up with. She wanted to make her feel better, but she was also selfish, so she did what she had been wanting for months: she leaned over and kissed her.

And, for a moment, everything straightened out in Yongsun's life. Moonbyul looked surprised at first, but it lasted a second. Immediately, her hands were lin her dark hair, sometimes stroking it and sometimes grasping it firmly. Yongsun hugged her by the shoulders and enjoyed her closeness. The blonde bit her lip, and she moved to be even closer to her, straddling Moonbyul. She felt that, for the first time in months, her feet were on the ground. She was sure that that was what she wanted to do, the right thing by her heart.

Except, of course, it wasn't.

"What about your girlfriend?"

Everything came to a standstill for a long moment as they looked into each other's eyes, feeling the connection fade away. The moment, the attraction, the spell, everything broke into a thousand pieces, leaving Yongsun feeling dirty and sticky. She leapt away from Moonbyul and staggered backwards, trying not to think of Chungha.

She didn't deserve either of them.

She opened the door, ran, and did not look back.


	19. Treason hurts, lies kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The air is clean, the page is turned.

"Hi, gorgeous! Do you want to stay at my place on Saturday?"

"I'm busy this weekend, sorry."

"Hello, honey! What days are you free for next week? You wanted to go to that new café, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry, I have to study for exams this week."

"Baby, I'm close to campus, do you want to go out for a walk? I won't keep you long, I promise! I miss you...".

"Just today I'm meeting a classmate for an essay, I'm in the library."

"Yongsun, are you alright?"

You didn't have to be too sharp to realize that Yongsun was distant, and although Chungha had been as understanding as ever, she was beginning to worry. It was in part the fact that she was so kind despite Yongsun ignoring her that made her feel so bad. If she was angry and had urged at her to react, perhaps she could have done so...

But she couldn't face so much sweetness she didn't deserve. She'd only seen Chungha very briefly a week ago, because she needed help buying some materials for the dance studio. Yongsun had struggled to fake that everything was fine, but Chungha must have realized something was off. She had behaved more tenderly than usual, and even invited her to dinner. The comparison between her and the more than failed date with Moonbyul was inevitable, and it hurt her soul to know that Chungha trying so hard only made her feel worse, much worse.

She couldn't help comparing them, and it was exhausting. Chungha surpassed Moonbyul in almost everything: she was more attentive, sweeter, more understanding, and, above all, she didn't have a lot of ex-girlfriends who would judge her by having a relationship with her.

And yet, all in all, she knew which one of them her heart preferred.

"This sucks," she said aloud.

"Hey, it's not that ugly," Hyejin answered, analysing her creation and comparing it to a photograph in her phone.

Christmas was around the corner and, though she wasn't very skilled, Hyejin was painting Wheein a portrait. Following her modus operandi of not being alone for a moment, she now used to hang out in Hyejin's room, whether she wanted it or not. Most of the time she welcomed her with open arms and, as Wheein was almost always with her, they had begun to make peace little by little. Also with Seulgi. As long as they didn't talk about what they didn't have to talk about under any circumstances, Yongsun was glad to have her friends back.

On that occasion, Wheein and Seulgi were doing their final exams. She and Hyejin had done them yesterday, so they were alone.

"Wheein would kill to have those lips."

She earned a murderous look from Hyejin, who replied that 'Wheein's lips were as beautiful as rose petals and Yongsun had no idea of beauty.' Yongsun laughed, but it soon dried up. The portrait wasn't very faithful, but she could feel the love in every stroke of the canvas. She tried not to be noticed in her sadness, but Hyejin sensed it. Far from scolding her as she always did, she eyed her, as if controlling the situation. Then, she cleared her throat and looked back at the portrait.

A knock on the door. Yongsun was doing nothing, so she was going to open when Hyejin rose hurriedly, in a not at all suspicious manner. She put her phone in her pocket before opening, and took her coat as she greeted the person on the other side of the door. Yongsun looked over Hyejin's shoulder. Why was she so nervous about Wheein...?

Except it was not Wheein, but Chungha.

"Traitor!" She shouted at Hyejin, who was already fleeing to the stairs. But that brought her closer to Chungha.

"You'll thank me later!" Her alleged friend yelled over her shoulder, going down the steps to lose sight of Yongsun.

'If she falls down the stairs, she'll deserve it,' Yongsun thought, though not too seriously. Hyejin had been insisting that if she didn't want to talk to Moonbyul, she should at least talk to Chungha. Yongsun threatened to stop talking to her if she didn't keep quiet about it, but Hyejin didn't care much and replied that if she didn't do anything, she would have to take action. She had never thought her able to fulfill that threat.

"May I come in?"

Chungha was as pretty as ever, though there was a certain melancholy in her sky-blue eyes, as if she was already missing something she had not yet lost. Yongsun swallowed and stepped aside to let her in. It was weird not to hug or kiss her, but they both knew that something was wrong. She sat in the chair at Hyejin's desk with her legs crossed, so Yongsun took a seat on the bed.

"Yongsun..." Chungha began to speak. She seemed very lost. Yongsun had never wanted to get to that point. She stretched her back and lifted her face, looking mature and confident. "I don't know what happened, but I know you. I can imagine. I'm sorry for this, it was pretty childish," she made a vague hand gesture, symbolizing her strange alliance with Hyejin, "but you didn't want to talk to me, what could I do?"

She understood, so she couldn't blame her. Yongsun put her legs up and rested her chin on them, hugging herself. She felt again that an invisible hand was squeezing her heart, and moisture in her eyes. When she spoke, it was only a whisper:

"If you know, how can you be here talking to me? Don't you hate me?"

"Of course not!"

Chungha, who seemed to want to comfort her rather than saving herself emotional harm, followed her to bed and placed a hand on her arm tenderly. She was good, even to a cheater. With the window on her back, she could almost imagine the wings coming out of her back and the hoop over her head. She was an angel, and Yongsun didn't deserve her. A tear flowed down, and she wiped it with rage. If Chungha wasn't crying, she should not either. The next one was wiped away by the angel with the warmest, sweetest hands.

"Yongsun, I couldn't hate you, much less for something I knew would happen sooner or later."

She had expected the girl to tell her that she didn't hate her because, after all, Chungha was a good person and Yongsun doubted that she even had the ability to hate anyone she loved. However, it surprised her and disappointed her equally. She hid her face between her knees. If she could have put her head on the ground like an ostrich, she would have done it. She just wanted to disappear.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Knowing I had no choice?"

"No," she said. There it was, that hint of resentment that showed that Chungha was as human as she was, though infinitely kinder. "I'm here to talk, not to make you feel better. This conversation could never be easy, honey, but it is necessary. And, to have a normal conversation, perhaps you should look me in the face."

She was right, as always. Hiding wasn't going to do her any good, as she had seen over the past few weeks. She had fled Chungha, and the relationship with Moonbyul was still as frozen as ever, if not more so. In the unusual times she had seen her strolling around campus and they had exchanged glances, Moonbyul seemed to debate between approaching her or running away. She had always opted for the latter, and seeing her back moving away broke her heart. She wasn't sure how it kept beating.

She came out of the hiding place on her knees, and looked at her like a beaten dog. 'I wish I could love her as she deserved.'

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry... I don't know what to do to make you forgive me."

"Text me from time to time. I'd love to keep being your friend," Chungha smiled weakly and shoved her shoulder. It seemed a bit artificial and forced, but it was a start. "And, above all, stop hiding how you feel, Yongsun. That is the most important thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I will be uploading the last chapter of this fic next Saturday, so tune in!


	20. No more drama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is well that ends well.

Moonbyul's birthday came and went, and she didn't even notice. The only gift she would have been thrilled to receive had gone away that same morning to celebrate Christmas week with her parents, just like herself. She knew that something had happened with Chungha, Yongsun's... Yongsun's girlfriend. It was hard for her to think about it. She knew this because Hyejin slipped, covering her mouth immediately after saying something she shouldn't

Other than that, The information she had on Yongsun was very close to zero. Well, she guessed she was alive. Since the exams were over, she didn't even have the excuse of having to go to the library near her faculty to see if she was around. The few times she had seen her had been from far away, and she had always been too chicken and had practically run away. That thing she told Yongsun the first time they met, "I'm not one to control my urges", didn't make sense anymore.

The truth was that she had controlled herself the unspeakable so as not to text her. She'd actually wanted to do it for weeks, but she didn't want to be that pathetic. It was obvious that Yongsun was very much in love with Chungha, she spent her whole freaking life in her flat, as far as she knew. The fact that she had been going out with Hyejin and Wheein a bit more in the past few weeks made her hopeful, but it might also mean nothing.

Before she knew it, it was December 31. She had come back to the residence a few days before to spend a few Netflix and chill days with Hyejin, without worries. However, her friend arrived the next day, so she would spend that night alone. It might seem a little depressing to spend the whole New Year's Eve without company, but Moonbyul didn't care too much: she always had Chuseok with her family. Besides, after spending some time at home, she missed a little intimacy: Seulgi was already in her teens and Yesol was almost there, and they were unbearable, although they were still adorable in a way.

Moonbyul therefore anticipated a very quiet night, and her jaw almost fell to the ground when she saw Yongsun's text, the first since they exchanged phone numbers. It was very simple: "Come."

Where to? But Moonbyul would have gone to the end of the world to find her, so she decided to look for her. It couldn't be that difficult, there were few places in the residence, and the only one that made any sense was her room. She went downstairs from the fifth floor to the fourth. Her legs were shaking and she didn't know what to expect, not even when she knocked. She ran her hand through her hair to comb it a little bit at full speed, and regretted not having thought about it before going out the door.

She was trying to smell her breath when she noticed the smell that Yongsun's room was giving off, even through the door. What was it? She leaned forward, and was caught by the girl of her dreams, in the flesh. Moonbyul straightened up at once, as if caught red-handed.

Yongsun, as always, was gorgeous, and even that was an understatement. Okay, it's true that the light blue sweatshirt and leggins she wore weren't the most glamorous ever, but she wasn't going to judge her either. She was wearing a shirt and ripped black jeans (in December, because she was brave). 

Yongsun could have welcomed her with a potato sack on and Moonbyul would have still thought her the prettiest girl in the universe. Her beauty did not lie only in her physical appearance, but also in the way her warm brown eyes looked at her, as if Moonbyul were the most important person in the world.

"Are you coming in?" Yongsun seemed to be hiding a bit of nerves and guilt behind that confident mask, but, in general, she smiled quite calmly. "I've made several things, all by myself! Well, the supermarket has helped me up with some," she admitted with a shy smile.

Moonbyul hadn't noticed anything but her, but it was true. Yongsun had cleared the desk and moved it a bit away from the window, and had put two chairs facing each other. On the table was a wide variety of typical New Year's dishes, all still smoking.

"Soup with rice cakes, kimchi dumplings, even cinnamon punch!"

A wave of tenderness flooded her heart, and she entered the room, sitting with her back to the window. She needed no other sight when she had Yongsun to look at. The brunette followed her and sat in the opposite chair, waiting for her to taste the dishes. She told her she'd done almost everything in the kitchen of the residence. "It's wasn't as easy as I though easy," she confessed lightheartedly, and shrugged.

"What have I done to deserve to be pampered so much?" Moonbyul asked after tasting everything and slowing down her eating. Just a little, because everything was delicious.

Yongsun seemed to think a lot about it, as if she were considering what she was going to say. It hurt her a bit that she thought she was going to screw up, but she understood: they had a somewhat complicated record of failed conversations.

In the last one, Yongsun ended up kissing her. If all her failures were going to end like that one...

The girl didn't seem very willing to kiss her, but rather extremely nervous. She let her take her time and, after a few minutes, Yongsun replied in a soft and sincere voice:

"I just wanted to spend New Year's Eve with the girl I like, why is that so strange?"

Oh, my God. That little face and that voice and those kind eyes were killing her. She felt an arrow piercing her heart. How could she not love her? She must have had more love arrows stuck there than any professional target. Yongsun's words had left her breathless and speechless, so she could only gasp. She tried to regain some composure; after all, Moonbyul was always calm.

"I hate to repeat myself, but what about your girlfriend?"

Rolling her eyes, Yongsun placed her elbows on the desk. It was very narrow, so she almost had Moonbyul right on her face when she leaned toward her, looking through her thick eyelashes innocently.

"What do you think?"

This time it was Moonbyul who couldn't take it anymore: she leaned in and kissed her.

It was a completely new experience, different both from the kiss they had shared weeks before and from the others she had experienced throughout her life. It was sweet and passionate and intense, even with the table in the middle. Sometimes they moved away but, excited as they were, they looked into each other's eyes, exchanged knowing smiles and kissed again. She would have liked to hug her and kiss her from head to the feet, like she deserved, but there was this little table problem.

Or maybe it was a blessing, because if it hadn't been there, if there hadn't been anything to stop them, who knows where they would have ended up.

"That should've been our first kiss," Yongsun whispered against her lips later, when they had finished their supper and had put everything away.

They were hugging in bed, calmer than ever, enjoying the silence together.

"Our first hundred kisses, you mean," Moonbyul corrected her as she laughed.

Yongsun kicked her in the shin and tried to drill her with her eyes, but she was too happy. She opened her mouth and began to say:

"I'm sorry..."

But Moonbyul wouldn't let her finish and kissed her again. She wasn't going to let her worry about that kind of nonsense when it was all sorted out. She was done with apologies for that year, at least.

"I forgive you. But in return, you owe me, okay?"

She winked at her beautiful girlfriend, and she saw Yongsun melt. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"I better start then, don't you think?"

She kissed her sweetly. Moonbyul's world had straightened up, and she felt it would always be right from then on.

After all, she had Yongsun by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Thanks for sticking around, hope you liked it!


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